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HISTORY   OF    HOLDEN, 


MASSACHUSETTS, 


1667—1841. 


BY  SAMUEL    C.    DAMON. 


1841. 


T> 


r?M,4 


WALLACE  &  RIPLEY,  PRINTERS, 
WORCESTER,    MASS. 


*) 


X 


TO 

THE  CITIZENS  OF  HOLDEIV, 

THIS    VOLUME 

CONTAINING 


OF     THE     TOWN 
PRINCIPALLY      WRITTEN      WITH     AN      EYE 


UPON  THE  ORIGINAL  DOCUMENTS, 


IS     RESPECTFULLY 

INSCRIBED     BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


"  When  at  the  first  I  took  my  pen  in  hand, 
Thus  for  to  write,  I  did  not  understand 
That  I  at  all  should  make  a  little  book 
In  such  a  mode." — John  Bunycm. 


I N  D  E  X . 


Act  Incorporating  Tlolden,  29,  69,  70. 

'«  "  Worcester,  24. 

Adams,  Samuel,  42,  59 
Admiration   for  Ancestors,   35. 
Affairs,  Military,  136. 

Bardwell,  Rev.  Horatio,  102,  106, 
115. 

Chenery,  Doct.  Isaac,  60,  133. 

"     Thaddeus,  133. 
Church,  Cong.  33,  71,  72, 100—107 
Baptist,  108—114. 

Davis,  Rev.  Joseph,  32,  38,  40, 106. 

"     Gov.  John,  35. 

"     Isaac,  Esq.  14,  15. 
Deacons,  Cong.  chh.   107. 
Delegates  Prov.  Cong.  99. 

Earthquake  in  Holden,  39,  40. 
Effects  of  Rev.  War,  52,  53. 
Emigration,  143. 

Faith,  Articles,  Cong.  chh.  103. 
•«  "       Bap.  chh.  110. 

Gospel,  Its  support,  32. 
Gookin,  Daniel,  20  23,  64,  66. 

Halves,  Wor.  N.  and  S.  20 
Hancock,  Gov.  56. 
Haven,  S.  F.  Esq.  10—13. 
ct       Rev.  Joseph,  59. 

Indians,  21,  22. 
Lafayette,  48,  147. 
Land  French.  52,  53. 


Andrews,  Rev.  Elisha,  108,  113. 
Anniversary,  Centenial,  4 — 16. 
Association,  Missionary,  115. 
Avery,  Rev.  Joseph,  40,50,  55,  57, 
58,  59,   K)G. 

Belnap,  Rev.  A.   114. 
Bigelow,  John,  31. 

Coleman,  Rev.  Dr.  30. 
Covenantor  Chh.  101,  104. 

"  Town,  49. 

Clerks,  Town,  93. 

Deed,  Indian  1st,  63,  64. 

"  "       2d,  65,  65. 

"     Hon.  John  Hancock's,  56. 
Dodd,  John,  Esq.  129. 
Donations  to  Rev.  Mr.  Avery,  50,  51. 

Estabrook,  Col.  James,  15,  16. 
Everett,  Gov.  36. 

"     Rev.  Sam'l.  114. 

Factories,  145,  146.  147. 

Graduates,  College,  130. 
Grenadiers,  137,   138. 

Henchman,  Daniel,  37. 

Hills,   127. 

Ho'den,  Samuel  Esq.  30  31. 

Houses,  .Meeting,  28,  55,  1  13,  15(7. 

Justices  of  Peace.  129. 

Lime  Lot,  25,  26. 

Lincoln,  William  Esq.  16,  20  7fi. 


Vlll 


INDEX. 


Man,  Blind,  118. 
Manufactures,  145,  146,  147. 
Marshall,  Rev.  Thomas,  112,  113. 
Masters,  Post,  133. 
Masonry,  135. 
Organization,  Town,  19. 

Cong.  32,  71. 

Paine,  Rev.  Wm.  P.  13,  107. 
Papers,  old,  150,151. 
Pastors,  Cong.  chh.   106,  107. 
•■       Bap.       "      113,114. 
Perry,  John,   10S. 

Rebellion,  Shays  53,  54,  55,  SI — 91. 

Rice  Jonas,  25. 

Representatives,  100. 

Sampson,  Deborah,  49. 

Selectmen,  93 — 96. 

Schools,  139,  140,  141. 

Settlement,  First,  29. 

Sermon,  Rev.  Mr.  Davis's,  35,  39. 

Temperance  societies,  14S,  149. 
Thieves,  Society  for  Detecting,  124, 
125. 

Valuations,  144. 

W  ar,  Rev.  40  —  52. 
**    Trench  and  Indian,  33.  34,  36, 
37. 
Waters,  Rev.  George,  111. 


Meeting,  First  Town,  19. 
Mellen,  Rev.  John,  39. 
Millenium,  119. 
Missionaries,  131,  132. 
Music,  chh.  56,  152,  153,  153. 
Organization  Bap   chh.  109. 
Otis,  James,  42,  51. 

Physicians,  133,  134. 
Pollard,  Rev.  A.  114. 
Population,  142,  143. 
Prices  Established,  50. 
Protest,  85,  91. 

Report  to  Gen.  Court,  20,  21. 

Resolutions,  Revolutionary,  43 — 46. 

Rivers,  12S. 

Shays,  Daniel,  54,  76—80. 

Soldiers,  Revolutionary,  75,  148. 

Spring,  118,  119. 

Style,  Old  and  New,  29. 

Things  in  General,   14S. 
Topography,   126. 
Treasurers,  Town,  9S,  99. 

Walker,  Rev.  John,  113,  114. 
Washington's  Death,  57. 
Winthrop,  Col.  Adam,  27. 
Wright,  Judah,  6,  116  —  124. 


AN 


HISTORICAL     ADDRESS, 


DELIVERED    AT 


HOLDEN,  MASS., 

MAY  4TH,   1S41, 

THE   FIRST    CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION 

OF  THE  MUNICIPAL  ORGANIZATION 

OF  THE  TOWN; 


WITH   NOTES   AND  AN   APPENDIX. 


BY    SAMUEL    C.DAMON. 


WORCESTER: 

WALLACE     AND     RIPLEY,    PRINTERS: 

1841. 


PRELIMINARY  ARRANGEMENTS 

FOR  THE  CENTENNIAL    ANNIVERSARY. 

The  Citizens  of  Holden,  agreeably  to  a  Notice,  assembled  at  ths 
Town  Hall,  7  o'clock,  P.  If.,  November  30,  1840,  to  take  into  considera- 
tion the  expediency  of  celebrating  the  first  Centennial  Anniversary  of  the 
Town  of  Holden. 

Col.  SAMUEL  DAMON  was  chosen  Chairman,  and  Charles  Chaf» 
fin,  Secretary  of  the  meeting.  After  deliberating  upon  the  subject,  a  unan- 
imous vote  was  passed,  to  celebrate  the  First  Centennial  Anniversary  of  the 
Town.  The  following  gentlemen  were  appointed  a  Committee  to  make  the 
necessary  arrangements  for  the  anniversary  exercises  : — Samuel  Damon, 
Charles  Chaffin,  Paul  Davis,  William  Metcalf,  Jonathan  Rice,  Silas  M. 
Hubbard,  Lemuel  Fiske,  Silas  Flagg,  Jason  Mann,  Samuel  Foster,  John 
Davis,  and  James  Winch. 

A  vote  was  then  passed  to  invite  Mr.  Judah  Wright  to  join  this  Committee: 

December  14,  1840.  At  7  o'clock,  P.  M.  the  above  committee  conven- 
ed, with  some  of  the  citizens,  when  the  subject  was  discussed — whether  the 
citizens  would  celebrate  January  9,  1841,  the  centennial  anniversary  of  the 
act  incorporating  the  town,  or  May  4,  1841,  being  one  hundred  years  since 
the  municipal  organization  of  the  town,  by  the  choice  of  Town  Officers. 
The  latter  day  was  decided  upon  by  the  meeting,  as  the  most  convenient 
and  proper. 

The  committee  of  arrangements  invited  the  Rev.  William  P.  Paine  to  de- 
liver an  address  suitable  for  the  occasion.  He  declined  to  accept  the  invi- 
tation in  consequence  of  his  arduous  duties  as  a  Pastor. 

The  invitation  was  then  given  to  Mr.  Samuel  C.  Damon,  a  native  of  the 
town,  and  member  of  Andover  Theological  Seminary.  Mr.  Damon,  having 
signified  his  willingness  to  accept  the  invitation,  the  committee  of  arrange- 
ments appointed  a  sub-committee, — Samuel  Damon,  Paul  Davis,  and 
Charles  Chaffin,  to  assist  Mr.  Damon,  in  searching  for  information  touching 
the  early  history  of  the  Town. 

March  30. — 7  o'clock,  P.  M.  the  committee  met  at  the  Town  Hall,  to 
complete  their  arrangements,  in  regard  to  the  coming  Anniversary. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION. 

The  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  municipal  organization  of 
Holden,  will  be  celebrated  by  the  citizens  of  the  said  town,  on  Tuesday,  the 
fourth  day  of  May  next. 

An  Address  will  be  delivered  at  11  o'clock,  A.  M.,  by  MrS.  C.  Damon. 

Citizens  of  other  towns,  and  especially  such  as  have  formerly  been  in- 
habitants of  Holden,  are  invited  to  be  present,  and  participate  in  the  exer- 
cises of  the  occasion. 

A  Dinner  will  be  provided  at  the  Town  Hall,  by  S.  Davis. 

By  order  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements. 

Holden,  April  28,  1841. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION  AT  HOLDEN. 


(Extract from  the  National  JEgis,  Worcester,  May  19.) 


The  first  century  since  Holden*.  in  Worcester  County 
was  established  as  a  town,  by  the  election  of  municipal 
officers  according  to  the  provisions  of  the  acts  of  the 
Great  and  General  Court  of  the  Province  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  was  completed  on  May  4,  1841.  The  citi- 
zens, desirous  of  honoring  the  memory  of  the  founders 
of  their  community,  and  of  noticing  in  an  appropriate 
manner  an  anniversary  so  interesting,  had  made  arrange- 
ments for  a  public  festival  on  the  occasion. 

The  day  was  remarkable  in  the  climate  of  New  Eng- 
land. Snow  had  fallen  during  the  preceding  week  to 
unusual  depth,  and  the  white  drifts  and  beds  remained 
along  the  borders  and  covered  the  little  hollows  of  the 
fields,  and  although  the  sun  shone  bright,  the  north-west 
wind  was  chilled  with  the  breath  of  winter.  If  we  may 
trust  to  the  records  ol  former  time,  an  hundred  years 
ago,  May  was  like  a  summer  month,  and  an  old  diary 
states,  that  on  the  day  of  the  old  style  then,  which  cor- 
responded with  the  fourth  of  May  now,  trees  were  bud- 
ding, flowers  were  springing,  and  windows  were  thrown 
open  to  admit  the  warm  sun.* 


*  On   Tuesday,   May  4,  1841,   the  thermometer   stood  thoa  at   Hospital 
Hill,  in  Worcester :  at  sunrise,  33  deg.  :  2  P.  M.  50  deg.  :  at  sunset,  47  deg. 

1* 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


The  citizens  collected  at  an  early  hour  to  join  in  the 
solemnities  and  festivities  of  the  anniversary.  At  11 
o'clock  of  the  forenoon,  a  procession  was  formed  at  the 
house  of  Col.  Samuel  Damon,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Committee  of  Arrangements  named  below : 

COMMITTEE    OF    ARRANGEMENTS. 

Samuel  Damon,  Charles  Chaffin,  Silas  Flagg,  Lemuel 
Fiske,  Paul  Davis,  John  Davis,  William  Metcalf,  Samuel 
Foster,  Silas  M.  Hubbard,  James  Winch,  Jason  Mann, 
Jonathan  Rice,  Judah  Wright. 

The  arrangement  of  the  Procession  was  under  the  di- 
rection of  the  following  gentlemen,  who  officiated  as 
Marshals. 

MARSHALS. 

Chenery  Abbott,  Le  Baron  Putnam,  Joab  S.  Holt, 
Charles  L.  Knowlton,  Ethan  Davis,  Nathan  Howe, 
William  Howe,  Sparrow  Crosby,  James  S.  Moore. 

First  went  "The  Military  Band"  from  the  adjoining 
town  of  Paxton,  a  fine  body  of  musicians,  conducted  by 
Mr.  Thomas  Ward  and  Mr.  J.  B.  Allyer,  their  leaders. 

A  most  interesting  feature  in  the  ceremonies  of  the 
day,  was  the  attendance  of  the  ladies  of  Holden,  and  of 
some  of  the  dames  and  damsels  of  other  towns,  who 
marched  to  the  meeting-house. 

They  were  followed  by  the  citizens  of  Holden,  and 
their  guests. 

The  church  was  filled  before  the  solemn  exercises  of 
the  occasion  commenced,  with  a  large  assembly. 

After  appropriate  music  by  the  Paxton  band,  the  fol- 
lowing Hymn,  composed  by  Mr.  Judah  Wright,  a  vener- 
able citizen  of  Holden,  seventy  years  of  age,  suffering 
under  the  infirmity  of  blindness  from  infancy,  was  sung 
by  a  choir  of  more  than  an  hundred  singers,  led  by  Cah 
Samuel  Stratton. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN'.  7 

HYMN'— By  Judah  Wright. 

Let  us  our  grateful  voices  raise, 
To  celebrate  Jehovah's  praise, — 
Our  fathers  trusted  in  his  care, 
Arid  we  his  richest  blessings  share. 

When  we  a  hundred  years  review, 
We  see  the  efforts  of  a  few 
Increasing,  till  a  rising  Town 
Does  their  judicious  labors  crown. 

Dark  forests  from  the  view  recede. 
And  herds  and  flocks  in  safety  feed, 
And  plenty  crowns  a  cheerful  home, 
Where  prowling  wolves  were  wont  to  roam. 

The  active,  hardy,  wise,  and  brave 

Have  reached  their  common  home — the  grave  ; 

And  beauty,  once  the  source  of  pride, 

Has  long  since  mouldered  by  their  side. 

The  ravages  which  time  hath  made, 
Teach  us  that  all  on  earth  must  fade  ; 
Then  let  our  best  affections  rise, 
To  solid  joys  beyond  the  ski«s. 

Though  nothing  here  can  long  endure. 
The  throne  Eternal  stands  secure, 
And  there  we  may  repose  our  trust, 
>«or  dread  the  summons,  "  dust  to  dust." 

An  impressive  and  eloquent  prayer  was  then  offered 
by  the  Rev.  Horatio  Bardwell,  formerly  clergyman  of 
Holden,  during  six  years  a  missionary  in  India,  and 
now  minister  of  the  Gospel  at  Oxford,,  in  Worcester 
County. 

The  address  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  C.  Damon  was  a 
faithful,  able,  and  interesting  review  of  the  prominent 
events  in  the  history  of  the  town  during  the  last  centu- 
ry. In  clear,  simple,  and  persuasive  manner,  he  related 
the  trials,  toils,  and  hardships  of  the  early  planters — ex- 
plained the  causes  which  induced  them  to  go  out  from 
the  ancient  colony  of  Worcester — narrated  their  exertions 
during  the  wars  with  the  French  and  Indians,  which 
disturbed  the  people  of  New  England — referred  to  the 
spirited  resolutions  and  acts  of  the  citizens  in  the  bright 
period  of  the  revolution — counted  the  soldiers  who  fought 


8  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

the  battles  of  freedom  during  the  long  war  of  indepen- 
dence, and  traced  the  progress  of  the  town  in  its  march 
of  prosperity  through  the  hundred  years  which  have  rol- 
led onward  since  the  organization. 

Of  the  high  merit's  of  Mr.  Damon's  Address,  it  is  un- 
necessary now  to  speak  :  a  copy  was  requested  for  the 
press  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  all  who  listened  to  the 
words  of  the  speaker.  The  public  will  be  enabled  to  es- 
timate, when  it  shall  read,  the  excellence  of  the  manner 
in  which  materials  collected  with  extraordinary  diligence 
from  the  archives  of  the  State,  the  records  of  the  town, 
the  papers  of  the  past,  and  from  all  other  sources  of  in- 
formation, were  arranged,  and  the  accuracy  and  fidelity  of 
the  narrative. 

After  the  Address,  the  glorious  Anthem  of  Haydn,  "  O ! 
Praise  ye  the  Lord" — was  sung  by  the  choir,  with  the 
accompaniment  of  the  band. 

The  hymn  which  follows,  beautiful  in  the  expression 
of  the  thoughts  which  croud  on  such  an  anniversary,  and 
having  graceful  words  and  gentle  flowing  rhyme,  was 
then  sung  by  the  many  voices  of  the  musicians.  We 
regret  that  we  are  unable  to  learn  the  name  of  the  author 
of  such  good  verse. 

HYMN— By  J.  H.  B. 

One  hundred  years  have  roll'd  away, 

Unrealized,  unseen,  unfelt, 
Since  first  before  thine  altars  here, 

O,  God  !  our  holy  fathers  knelt. 

They  lie  beneath  those  swelling  mounds, 
Those  ancient  graves  that  once  were  green  5 

No  granite  block,  no  marble  pile 
Above  their  resting-place  is  seen. 

Yet  here  they  live, — the  thoughts  of  God 

That  in  their  children's  bosoms  thrill  ; 
Each  holy  prayer,  each  stirring  hope, — 

All  these  are  their  memorials  still. 

First  in  their  noble  thoughts  and  plans, 
The  love  and  worship,  Lord,  of  Thee  ; 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  9 

Then,  the  strong  training  of  their  youth, 
The  love  of  Man  and  Liberty. 

And  when,  above  our  old  grey  hills, 

They  heard  the  battle  thunders  roll  ; 
They  look'd  on  those  brave  men  who  died, 

With  a  stern  sympathy  of  soul. 

And  here  we  meet — remembering  those 

Who  laid  these  first  foundations  well, 
That,  o'er  their  honored  dust,  one  strain, 

Of  triumph  and  of  lo\e  may  swell. 

And  we,  like  them,  shall  pass  away, 

Our  thoughts  and  wishes,  hopes  and  fears, 

Lie  buried  in  our  scattered  graves, 
Within  another  hundred  years, 

And  now  we  bend  before  Thee,  here, 

Stand  on  the  ground  our  fathers  trod  ; 
Be  Thou  our  strength,  our  life,  our  light, 

Our  own,  as  once  our  fathers'  God. 

This  hymn  was  read  and  sung  after  the  ancient  fash- 
ion, which  was  called  "deaconing."  The  venerable  Bea- 
con  Rice,  having  consented  to  take  part  in  the  service  s 
of  the  church,  standing  in  his  place  at  the  communit  a 
table,  read  line  by  line.  The  scene  when  the  whole  of 
that  vast  congregation  rose  and  ioined  with  the  choir  in 
the  solemn  melody  after  the  manner  of  ;:  they  of  an  hun- 
dred years  ago,"  was  deeply  impressive. 

Rev.  John  Keep  of  Pelham  in  New  Hampshire,  who 
married  Miss  Davis,  a  daughter  of  Holden,  addressed  the 
Throne  of  Grace,  in  earnest  prayer,  after  this  most  inte- 
resting exercise  was  concluded. 

The  Anthem  ';Thy  Love  will  build  up  Zion,"  was 
next  performed  by  the  choir  and  band. 

The  benediction,  brief,  beautiful,  and  eloquent,  v  - 
pronounced  by  the  Rev.  William  P.  Paine,  of  Holden. 

Again  the  Procession  was  formed  by  the  Marshals. 
Preceded  by  the  Band,  escorting  about  one  hundred  and 
forty  ladies,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  citizens,  the 
company  were  conducted  by  the  same  Marshals  to  the 
Town  Hall,  where  tables  had  been  spread,  and  a  plenli- 


10  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

ful  and  elegant  repast  had  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Davis. 

The  blessing  of  Divine  Providence  was  implored  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Bard  well,  and  the  thanksgiving  of  the  crow- 
ded company  at  the  feast  was  returned  by  the  Rev.  An- 
drew Pollard. 

Col.  Samuel  Damon  presided  at  the  table,  and  announ- 
ced the  following  toasts : 

The  Day  vie  Celebrate — Abounding  in  interesting  associations  and  hal- 
owed  reflections,  and  sacred  to  the  memory  of  those  who  acted  here  an 
hundred  years  ago. 

The  flourishing  Town  of  tchich  this  7cas  originally  a  part — She  did  not 
cast  us  off,  nor  did  we  rebel — but  "  the  heart  of  the  Commonwealth"  was 
too  large  for  the  body. 

William  Lincoln,  Esq.  of  Worcester,  being  called  on 
by  the  President,  responded  to  this  sentiment  at  some 
length,  and  on  the  conclusion  of  his  remarks  proposed 
the  following  toast : 

Hoi  den  and  Worcester — United  in  past  time  within  the  same  territorial 
boundaries,  may  they  hereafter  be  more  closely  connected  by  the  ties  of 
friendship. 

The  President  gave  the  following  sentiment : 

Hon.  Samuel  Holden  and  Gov.  Hancock,  benefactors  of  the  Town— To 
the  munificence  of  the  one  we  are  indebted  for  a  valuable  Library,  and  to 
the  other  for  our  beautifurCommon. 

S.  F.  Haven,  Esq.  of  Worcester,  responded  to  the  call 
of  the  President,  nearly  as  follows : 

Mr.  President  :  I  feel  a  somewhat  peculiar  interest  in 
the  sentiment  that  has  just  been  repeated,  from  the  fact 
that  I  am  connected  with  an  Institution  which  owes  its 
origin  to  the  same  kind  of  liberality  as  is  there  commem- 
orated; and  in  the  absence  of  a  more  appropriate  response, 
I  will,  with  your  leave,  say  a  word  or  two  before  anoth- 
er toast  is  presented. 

There  are  in  this  county,  and  its  vicinity,  several 
towns  bearing  the  names  of  men  distinguished  in  their 
day  for  promoting  the  literary  interests  of  their  country, 
and  imparting  from  their  wealth  the  means  of  providing 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  11 

for  the  moral  and  intellectual  cultivation  of  generations 
that  should  succeed  them.  Holden,  Harvard,  Hopkin- 
ton,  are  prominent  among  these  monuments  in  honor  and 
memory  of  such  benefactions. 

What  more  desirable,  or  more  appropriate  memorial 
could  be  devised,  than  communities  like  these,  exhibit- 
ing in  their  intelligence,  their  good  habits,  their  schools 
and  religious  institutions,  the  fruits  of  those  endowments, 
the  name  and  fame  of  which  they  perpetuate?  What 
happier  tribute  could  be  paid  to  the  worth  of  men  who 
had  regard  to  our  well  being  as  well  as  to  that  of  their 
cotemporaies,  than  is  rendered  by  such  occasions  and 
such  meetings  as  the  present?  They  looked  forward  to 
us  with  paternal  solicitude,  and,  in  return,  we,  this  day, 
unite  in  expressing  the  filial  reverence  and  gratitude  with 
which  we  look  back  to  them.  I  have  not  the  honor,  I 
believe,  to  be  connected  by  descent  with  any  of  the  foun- 
ders and  fathers  of  this  town.  The  various  villages  of 
our  Commonwealth  are  seldom,  however,  without  some 
connecting  ties. 

I  have  learned  from  the  interesting  discourse,  to  which 
we  have  just  listened,  that  the  late  Mr.  Avery,  your  long- 
loved  and  respected  pastor,  came  from  my  native  town, 
and  that  my  grandfather  preached  his  ordination  sermon, 
and  I  am  diposed  to  fasten  upon  these  facts  for  want  of 
better  claims  to  unite  in  these  ceremonies  and  partake 
of  this  hospitality.  But,  sir,  the  present  occasion  is  not 
one  of  merely  local  interest.  The  reminiscences  of  events 
that  happened  in  this  neighborhood,  anecdotes  of  men 
who  have  lived  here,  the  record  of  manners  and  habits, 
all  constitute  a  tributary  stream  to  the  general  current 
of  our  country's  history.  All  history  should  be,  and 
American  history  in  particular  must  be,  the  history  of 
the  people.     Not  an  account  of  the  proceedings  of  a 


12  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

court,  or  the  operations  of  any  government  only,  but  of 
what  the  people  have  been  doing,  in  villages,  and  com- 
munities, and  families.  These  things  lie  at  the  founda- 
tion of  national  character  and  sentiment,  and  consequent- 
ly of  national  events. 

How  would  it  be  possible,  for  instance,  for  us  to  un- 
derstand the  philosophy  of  our  Revolution,  and  appre- 
ciate the  spirit  that  originated  and  sustained  it,  without 
going  into  the  villages  and  upon  the  farms,  and  into  the 
dwellings,  by  the  aid  of  local  traditions  and  histories, 
and  seeing  what  manner  of  men  were  there — how  they 
lived,  and  what  they  felt,  and  thought,  and  did  ?  We  are 
carried  by  this  means  behind  the  scenes,  or  rather  into 
the  scenes,  of  private  history,  and  shown  what  are  real- 
ly the  secret  springs  of  public  history.  Those  matters 
which  possess  a  natural  interest  to  a  particular  neigh- 
borhood, from  association  with  familiar  names  and  places, 
should  be  of  interest  to  every  one,  who  seeks,  in  the  ex  - 
perience  of  the  past,  for  that  wisdom  which  may  be  de- 
rived from  a  knowledge  of  what  those  who  lived  before 
us  have  done  or  suffered — wherein  they  have  erred  and 
in  what  respects  they  have  judged  rightly.  These  rec- 
ords present  to  us  pictures  of  human  nature,  both  of  its 
virtues  and  failings,  such  as  we  can  best  understand. 
The  village  disputes,  religious  quarrels,  and  political  dis- 
tentions of  past  times,  are  analagous  to  those  to  which 
o^ir  own  generation  is  exposed.  They  afford  examples 
of  character  and  conduct  of  which  we  can  see  the  be- 
ginning and  the  end,  and  may  draw  therefrom  most  use- 
ful admonitions.  We  are  living  over  the  same  lives,  with 
important  variations  to  be  sure,  but  subject  to  the  same 
general  laws  of  action,  inasmuch  as  we  possess  the  same 
nature,  and  are  governed  by  the  same  passions  and  mo- 
tives, which  always  lead   to  similar  results — similar  in 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  13 

character  and  consequences.  I  believe,  sir,  the  time  is 
coming  when  history  and  biography  will  be  taught  in 
our  common  schools,  as  carefully  as  grammar  and  arith- 
metic— taught  as  lessons  of  life- — and  that  ignorance  of 
the  history  of  one's  own  town,  or  even  of  one's  country, 
will  be  deemed  as  great  a  deficiency  as  ignorance  of  read- 
ing and  writing  now  are.  The  historic  genealogy  of  a 
village  may  be  made  as  useful  a  guide,  through  the  de- 
vious paths  of  life,  as  the  chart  of  a  mariner  to  him  who 
sails  among  the  quick-sands  and  breakers  of  the  great 
deep ;  pointing  out  the  track  that  others  have  pursued, 
and  showing  how  and  where  they  have  advanced  in 
safety,  and  how  and  where  they  have  been  lost  upon 
shoals  and  rocks,  the  victims  of  heedlessness,  or  folly,  or 
headstrong  passion. 

Not  to  detain  you  longer,  I  will  offer  as  a  sentiment — 

The  Genealogical  Tree:  A  tree  of  knowledge,  both  of  good  and  evil. 
The  fruits  thereof  we  are  compelled  to  taste.  May  they  open  our  eyes  to 
a  consciousness  of  our  own  capacities  for  good,  and  our  own  responsibilities 
for  evil. 

The  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth — A  worthy  and  honored  descendant 
of  the  moderator  of  our  first  town  meeting,  which  we  are  celebrating. 

The  'patriotic  and  -pious  resolutions  of  our  forefathers — Whose  first  vote 
after  their  municipal  organization  was  "  to  have  the  Gospel  preached,"  and 
the  next  "  to  have  a  writing  and  reading  school  kept." 

The  happy  and  appropriate  remarks  of  Rev.  Mr.  Paine, 
following  this  sentiment,  we  are  not  so  fortunate  as  to 
possess. 

Honor  to  the  memory  of  our  Mothers,  who  presided  over  the  distaff  arid 
the  loom — May  their  refined  and  beautiful  Daughters  be  as  much  distinguish- 
ed for  their  industry,  energy,  and  virtue. 

After  this  toast  was  given,  the  ladies  sent  to  the  chair 
the  following : 

The  gallant  Sons  of  our  venerable  Fathers— The  Daughters  will  acknowl- 
edge their  authority  and  respect  their  dignity,  while  they  continue  to  protect 
and  honor  them. 

Ihe  distinguished  Historian  of  Worcester— By  whose  assiduous  labors 
among  musty  rolls,  the  early  annals  of  our  town  have  been  put  in  an  endur- 
ing form. 


14  HISTORY    OF   HOLDEN. 

This  toast  called  forth  a  pleasant  and  humorous  reply 
from  Mr.  Lincoln,  the  absence  of  which  is  explained  in 
another  place. — [Ed.] 

The  President  gave  the  following  sentiment,  and  ap- 
pealed to  Isaac  Davis,  Esq.  of  Worcester,  for  a  reply. 

The  -patriots  of  the  Revolution,  of  whom  this  Town  furnished  its  full 
quota — Let  the  memory  of  the  departed  be  cherished,  and  the  living  be 
crowned  with  honor. 

Col.  Davis  rose  and  addresssd  the  company  nearly  as 
follows : 

Mr.  President  :  One  hundred  and  twenty  years  ago, 
there  was  seen  a  man  with  a  plough  on  his  shoulder  pas- 
sing very  near  the  spot  where  we  are  now  assembled. 
This  individual  pursued  his  course  a  few  miles  west  of  us, 
where  he  thrust  the  plough  into  the  virgin  soil,  cast  in 
the  seed,  and  reaped  the  fruit  of  his  labors.  That  man 
was  the  father  of  the  first  minister  of  Holden,  and  filled 
various  offices  of  trust  in  the  first  municipal  elections.  I 
refer  to  Lieut.  Simon  Davis,  whose  remains  are  entomb- 
ed in  yonder  church-yard.  He  was  my  great-great- 
grandfather. About  twelve  years  ago,  on  a  "raw  and 
gusty  day"  in  the  month  of  March,  there  was  seen  a 
young  man  resembling  myself,  riding  with  a  young  lady 
whom  he  had  taken  for  "  better  and  for  vwrse"  over 
nearly  the  same  ground  that  the  sturdy  pioneer  of  the 
forest  passed.  Her  ancestors  lay  in  yonder  grave-yard. 
These,  Mr.  President,  are  some  of  the  relations  I  bear 
to  those  who  have  lived  in  the  first  century  of  Holden. 
With  these  connections  I  do  not  feel  that  I  am  an  "  alien 
and  a  stanger"  here.  Never — no,  never  have  I  looked 
on  a  New  England  audience  with  more  intense  interest 
than  on  the  present  occasion.  A  few  days  since  I  was  trav- 
elling in  Old  England — looking  at  her  soil,  her  climate, 
her  institutions,  and  the  state  and  condition  of  her  peo- 
ple, and  be  assured,  Sir,  I  came  home  with  renewed  love 
for  our  own  happy  homes,  our  own  glorious  institutions. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  15 

We  do  not  know,  nor  can  we  know,  how  much  the  masses 
there  suffer,  unless  we  personally  witness  their  degrada- 
tion. What  we  call  poverty  is  there  considered  a  com- 
fortable condition.  To  see  the  citizens  of  one  of  the 
thrice  happy  towns  of  New  England  assembled  for  the 
purpose  of  celebrating  an  anniversary  like  the  present,  is 
to  my  mind,  a  noble  spectacle.  It  leads  me  to  the  con- 
templation of  the  social,  civil,  and  religious  privileges 
we  are  enjoying.  Never  have  I  so  fully  realized  the  in- 
estimable value  of  these  privileges.  Never  shall  I  again 
wonder  and  be  surprised  that  our  fathers  left  their  native 
land — crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  at  an  inclement  season 
of  the  year,  and  breasted  the  dangers  incident  to  this 
western  wilderness.  They  came  to  establish  the  Institu- 
tions which  we  are  now  enjoying.     Without  troubling 

you  with  further  remarks,  Mr.  President,  allow  me  to 
oifer  a  sentiment. 

Our  Social.  Civil,  and  Religious  Institutions — They  cost  great  toil — great 
suffering — much  treasure — much  blood  : — but  not  half  as  much  as  they  are 
worth. 

One  of  the  soldiers  of  the  revolution,  Mr.  Drury,  was 
present,  and  replied  to  this  sentiment,  with  some  appro- 
priate remarks. 

Col.  James  Estabrook  of  Worcester,  a  native  of  Hoi- 
den,  offered  the  following  : 

The  early  settlers  of  Holden — Distinguished  for  their  love  of  order,  peace, 
and  sobriety — piously  devoted  to  the  cause  of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 
May  we,  their  descendants,  cherish  their  virtues,  and  not  prove  recreant  sons 
by  neglecting  to  do  all  in  our  power  to  transmit  them  unimpaired  to  those 
who  shall  come  after  us. 

Many  volunteer  sentiments  were  offered  and  received 
with  cordial  approbation,  and  we  regret  that  we  have 
not  been  able  to  procure  them,  to  add  to  the  account  of 
the  pleasant  celebration. 

At  an  early  hour  the  assembly  separated.  No  inci- 
dent occurred  to  mar  the  enjoyment  of  a  festival  of  deep 
and  peculiar  interest,     The  arrangements  were  so  judi- 


16  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

ciously  made,  as  to  secure  best  the  gratification  of  those 
who  attended. 

Those  who  participated  in  this  centennial  anniversary, 
can  never  join  there  in  any  other  which  shall  return  with 
the  course  of  years.  To  other  generations  it  may  be  in- 
teresting to  know  in  what  manner  they  of  the  present 
day  honored  the  memory  of  their  ancestors,  and  this  rec- 
ord is  made  to  perpetuate  the  recollection  of  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  anniversary  of  the  organization  of  the  town 
of  Holden, 


The  account  of  the  Centennial  Celebration  at  Holden 
was  furnished  by  a  gentleman  whose  interest  in  such  oc- 
casions and  predilection  for  historical  research  is  well 
known  from  its  practical  fruits.  It  was  not  until  we  ex- 
amined the  proof,  that  we  became  aware  of  omissions, 
some  of  which  it  was  then  too  late  to  remedy.  We  re- 
fer to  the  remarks  of  William  Lincoln,  Esq.,  in  reply  to 
the  sentiment  expressive  of  the  relation  which  the  towns 
of  Holden  and  Worcester  hold  to  each  other,  and  also  to 
that  which  has  a  more  personal  allusion.  It  was  for 
the  sake  of  these  remarks  that  one  at  least  of  the  guests 
from  this  town  assented  on  his  own  part  to  the  request 
that  notes  of  their  observations  should  be  inserted.  As 
citizens  of  Worcester,  we  could  not  but  desire  that  an 
acknowledgement  and  declaration  of  the  friendly  and 
cordial  connections  still  subsisting  between  the  parent 
town  and  its  vigorous  offspring,  with  the  reflections  in- 
cidentally suggested,  might  be  preserved,  in  substance 
at  least,  if  not  in  form.  We  trust  that  the  historian  of 
Worcester  will  not  surfer  the  existence  of  such  sentiments 
to  remain  unrecorded,  although  it  may  not  be  possible  that 
the  very  language  of  a  most  happy  extempore  speech 
should  be  remembered.  We  hope  to  hear  from  hip* 
next  week. — [Ed. 


Mr.  Samuel  C.  Damon, 

Dear  Sir — The  subscribers,  Committee  of  Arrangements,  were  ap- 
pointed,  before  the  Anniversary  Exercises  closed,  to  return  the   thanks  of 
ibe  audience  to  you,  for  your  able  address,  and  request  a  copy  for  the  press. 
Most  Repectfully, 

Yours, 

SAMUEL  DAMON, 
SILAS  M.  HUBBARD, 
WILLIAM  METCALF, 
SILAS  FLAGG, 
JAMES  WINCH, 
PAUL  DAVIS, 
LEMUEL  FISKE, 
CHARLES  CHAFFIN, 
JASON  MANN, 
JOHN  DAVIS, 
JONATHAN  RICE, 
SAMUEL  FOSTER, 
JTJDAH  WRtGHT. 
H<jlden,  May  4,  1841. 


PREFACE. 

The  Author  of  the  following  Address,  and  compiler  of  the  Notes  and  Ap- 
pendix, desires  to  connect,  with  their  publication,  an  acknowledgement  of 
his  obligation  to  persons  who  have  kindly  imparted  advice,  and  furnished 
materials  of  history.  To  the  Committee  appointed  for  that  purpose — but 
particularly  to  Charles  Chaffin,  Esq.,  a  member  of  that  Committee;  to  Wil- 
liam Lincoln,  Esq.,  of  Worcester;  and  S.  F.  Haven,  Esq.,  Librarian  of  the 
American  Antiquarian  Library;  to  the  Librarian  of  Cambridge  University; 
and  the  Rev.  Joseph  B.  Felt;  of  Boston,  to  the  Rev.  William  P.  Paine;  and 
the  citizens  of  Holden  in  general,  also  to  the  wife  of  Aaron  White,  Esq.,  of 
Boylston,  the  author  and  compiler  would  express  gratitude  for  their  kindness 
and  assistance.  Without  their  aid  this  publication  must  have  been  destitute 
of  interest  and  meagre  in  historical  information. 

In  preparing  this  address  for  publication,  the  author  has  taken  the  liberty 
to  make  a  few  alterations.  In  some  instances,  additions  have  been  made. 
Accuracy,  however,  has  been  his  constant  aim. 

Materials  have  been  gathered  from  sources  as  various  as  can  be  read  ily 
imagined  by  persons  who  have  not  attempted  a  similar  work.  Provincial 
and  State  papers,  at  Boston,  Proprietors'  and  Town  Books,  Church  and 
Society  Records,  Public  Libraries,  Newspapers,  family  histories  and  tra- 
ditions, the  recollections  of  the  living,  and  the  tombstones  of  the  departed, 
have  been  made  tributary  to  the  undertaking. 

It  is  hoped  some  apology  for  the  errors  and  imperfections  of  the  work  may 
be  found  in  the  circumstance,  that  hitherto  this  path  of  historical  research 
has  been  untravelled.  The  author  could  neither  copy  the  errors  or  excel- 
let  cies  of  his  predecessors.  And  if  this  effort  shall  assist  a  successor,  or 
any  among  his  fellow  citizens,  better  to  understand,  or  render  more  com- 
plete the  history  of  his  native  town,  it  will  be  a  sufficient  and  rich  reward. 


ADDRESS. 


This  day  completes  the  first  century  since  the  Town 
of  Holden  was  organized  agreeably  to  the  Provincial 
Statues  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  The  records  of  that 
event,  which  we  have  assembled  to  commemorate,  have 
been  carefully  preserved  upon  the  Town-books.  They 
read  as  follows  : — "  At  an  annual  meeting  in  Holden  on 
Monday  y*  fourth  of  May,  Anno  1741,  Mr  Simon  Davis 
chose  Moderator  for  sd  meeting.  Simon  Davis,  John 
Bigelow,  and  Cyprian  Stevens  chose  Select-men.  Cy- 
prian Stevens  chose  Town-Clerk — Sworn.  Jonathan 
Lovell  chose  constable  for  the  East-end — Sworn.  James 
Smith  chose  constable  for  the  West-end — Sworn.  Sam- 
uel Clark,  Samuel  Pierce,  and  Samuel  Hey  wood,  chose 
Assessors — Sworn.  William  Nickols  chose  Town-Trea- 
surer— Sworn.  Abraham  Newton  chose  Tything-man — 
Sworn.  James  Gray,  Jotham  Bigelow,  and  David 
Brown  chose  Fence-viewers.  Jotham  Bigelow  chose 
Clerk  of  the  Market — Sworn.  James  Grey,  and  Samuel 
Bruce  chose  Hog-reeves — Sworn.  Joseph  Woolley,  and 
Abraham  Newton  chose  Field-drivers— Sworn.  Samuel 
Hey  wood  chose  Sealer  of  Leather — Sworn.  James  Cald- 
well and  John  Childs  chose  Deer-reeves — Sworn.  John 
Bigelow,  and  Joseph  Hubbard  chose  Surveyors  of  high- 
ways— Sworn.     Simon  Davis  chose  Grand-juryman."* 

*Town  Records,  vol.  1,  p.  2. 


20  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

In  celebrating  the  Centennial  Anniversay  of  a  day, 
the  records  ot  which  have  now  been  read,  My  Fellow 
Citizens — We  follow  the  promptings  of  principles  deep- 
ly implanted  in  our  natures.  It  is  fit  and  proper  to  ex- 
hibit a  becoming  and  grateful  respect  for  the  memory  of 
that  generation  of  men. — who,  clearing  the  forests,  made 
their  homes  upon  the  hills,  and  in  the  valleys  of  our 
town. 

The  duty  devolving  upon  me,  by  accepting  the  invita- 
tion from  the  Committee  of  Arrangements,  to  prepare  an 
address  for  this  occasion,  I  shall  endeavor  to  discharge 
by  narrating  the  history  of  Holden.  from  the  period  when 
authentic  records  commence,  down  to  the  close  of  the 
ISth  century,  concluding  with  an  allusion  to  a  few  promi- 
nent events  in  the  present  century. 

The  earliest  authentic  accounts,  on  record,  which  refer 
to  the  tract  of  land  now  embraced  within  the  limits  of 
the  township  of  Holden,  are  co-eval  with  the  history  of 
Worcester.  That  town  originally  had  its  North  and 
South  halves.  The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  in 
May,  1667,  appointed  a  Committee  c,'to  take  an  exact 
viewe"  of  lands  lying  in  the  vicinity  of  Quinsigamond 
Pond,  and  being  about  mid- way  between  Boston  and 
Springfield.  Daniel  Gookin,  Edward  Johnson,  and  An- 
drew Belchar,  members  of  this  Committee,  made  the  fol- 
lowing report,  in  October,  166S: — 

"We  have,  according  to  the  Court's  Orders  bearing  date 
15th  May,  1667,  viewed  the  place  therein  mentioned,  and 
find  it  to  be  about  twelve  miles  westward  from  Marlbo- 
rough, near  the  road  to  Springfield,  and  that  it  contains 
a  tract  of  very  good  chestnut  tree  land  ;  a  large  quanti- 
ty ;  but  the  meadow  we  find  not  so  much ;  because  a  very 
considerable  quantity  of  meadow  and  upland,  about  five 
thousand  acres,  is  laid  out  unto  particular  persons,,  and' 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  21 

confirmed  by  this  Court,  *  *  *  *  but.  all  this  not- 
withstanding, we  conceive,  there  may  be  enough  mead- 
ow for  a  small  plantation,  or  town,  of  about  thirty  fami- 
lies ;  and  if  those  farms  be  annexed  to  it,  it  may  supply 
about  sixty  families.  Therefore  we  conceive  it  expedi- 
ent, that  the  honored  Court  will  be  pleased  to  reserve  it 
for  a  town,  being  conveniently  situated,  and  well  watered 
with  ponds  and  brooks,  and  lying  near  mid- way  between 
Boston  and  Springfield,  about  one  day's  journey  from 
either ;  and  for  the  settling  thereof,  we  do  offer  unto  the 
Court,  that  which  follows — viz  : — 

That  there  be  a  meet  proportion  of  land  granted  and 
laid  out  for  a  town,  in  the  best  form  the  place  will  bear, 
about  the  contents  of  eight  miles  square; 

That  a  prudent  and  able  committee  be  appointed  and 
empowered  to  lay  it  out. 

That  due  care  be  taken  by  the  committee,  that  a  good 
minister  of  God's  word  be  placed  there  as  soon  as  may  be ; 
that  such  people  as  may  be  there  planted,  may  not  live 
as  lambs  in  a  large  place." ;* 

This  report  was  approved  and  accepted  by  the  General 
Court.  Another  committee  was  appointed  to  carry  its 
recommendations  into  execution.  The  history  of  this 
"  tract  of  very  good  chesnut  tree  land,  containing  a  good 
supply  of  ponds  and  brooks,  and  being  about  eight  miles 
square,  and  laid  out  in  the  best  form  the  place  will  bear" 
I  shall  endeavor  to  trace  through  a  period  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty-two  years,  so  far  as  its  history  refers  to  the 
original  proprietorship,  and  settlement  of  Holden. 

The  persons,  who  had  obtained  a  grant  of  this  tract  of 
land  from  the  General  Court,  did  not  consider  their  title 
as  valid,  until  by  purchase,  it  had  been  secured  to  them 
by  the  Indians,  the  original  proprietors  of  the  soil.     On 

*  Lincoln's  history  of  Worcester,  p.  3. 


22  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

the  13th  of  July.  1674,  John  alias  Horrawannonit,  or 
Quiquonassett,  Sagamore  of  Pakachoge,  and  Solomon 
alias  Woonaskochu,  Sagamore  of  Tataessit,  together  with 
the  consent  of  their  kindred  and  people,  conveyed  by 
deed  the  abovementioned  tract  of  land  to  Daniel  Gookin 
of  Cambridge,  Daniel  Henchman  of  Boston,  and  certain 
other  persons,  for  and  in  consideration  of  £12  of  lawful 
money,  of  New  England  currency,  or  in  full  value  there- 
of in  other  specie  to  be  paid  within  three  months  after 
the  date  of  the  deed.  The  Indians  received  "  two  coats 
and  four  yards  of  trading  cloth  vale  wed  at  twenty- six  shil- 
lings," as  a  pledge  that  the  money  should  be  duly  paid. 
Messrs.  Gookin,  Henchman,  and  others  fully  discharged 
their  obligation  to  the  Indians  before  the  three  months  had 
expired,  and  came  into  possession  of  "  the  broken  upland 
and  woodlands,  woods,  trees,  rivers,  brooks,  ponds, 
swamps,  meadows, "mineralls,  or  any  other  thing,  or  things 
whatsoever,  lying  or  being  within  that  tract  of  land,  con- 
tayning  eight  miles  square  or  the  contents  thereof,  to  be 
layd  out  by  ye  sd  persons  or  their  order  in  time  conve- 
nient."^ 

The  district  of  country,  described  in  the  first  Indian 
deed  from  which  extracts  have  been  made,  embraced  the 
entire  townships  of  Worcester  and  Holden,  before  any 
portions  were  set  off  to  form  the  towns  of  Auburn,  Pax- 
ton,  or  West  Boylston.f 

King  Phillip's  war  commencing  A.  D.  1675,  in  connec- 
tion with  other  unpropitious  events,  retarded  the  rapid 


*  See  Note  A. 

t  "  The  plantation  of  Q,uinsigamond,  as  originally  granted,  and  surveyed, 
extended  nearly  twelve  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  six  from  east  to  west. 
It  was  designed  to  include  the  same  quantity  of  land  which  would  have  been 
comprehended  in  a  tract  eight  miles  square.  As  stated  in  the  original  plan, 
the  north  and  south  lines  were  1920  rods  each  ;  the  east  line  3815  ;  the 
west  3?t»0."     Lincoln,  p.  160, 


HISTORY    OP    HOLDEN.  23 

settlement  of  this  part  of  the  Massachusetts  colony.* 
This  circumstance  induced  the  General  Court,  at  their 
session  in  October  1682,  to  pass  a  vote  rendering  "forfeit 
and  lost"  the  grant  of  this  tract  of  land,  to  Gookin  and 
others,  unless  vigorous  exertions  were  speedily  adopted 
to  advance  its  settlement.!  The  Grantees  were  now 
urged  to  take  immediate  action  to  preserve  their  claims. 
It  was  found  by  estimation  that  about  480  acres  of  good 
meadow  land  were  contained  within  the  limits  of  this 
grant.  An  agreement  was  made,  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Proprietors,  April  24,  1682,  to  divide  the  whole  township 
into  as  many  lots  as  there  were  acres  of  meadow  land ; 
"  200  for  Planters;  80  for  public  uses  or  other  specific 
appropriations,  and  the  remaining  200  to  be  laid  out  on 
the  north  extremity  forming  a  division,  afterwards  known 
as  North  Worcester,  and  subsequently  rendered  perma- 
nent by  the  incorporation  of  Hoi  den.  "J 

The  dividing  line  between  North  and  South  Worcester 
was  drawn  during  the  year  1683  or  4.  For  a  period  of 
more  than  thirty  years  subsequent  to  this  division,  but 
very  meagre  records  have  been  preserved  relating  to  the 
North  half  of  Worcester.  "  For  a  time,"  observes  Lin- 
coln in  his  history  of  Worcester,  "  we  lose  sight  of  the 
town  and  its  inhabitants.  From  1686  to  1713  no  record 
is  preserved  on  the  proprietary  book  of  any  transactions. 
Neither  history  nor  tradition  informs  us  of  the  labors,  dan- 
gers and  sufferings  of  the  earlier  planters.  Gen.  Gookin, 
the  early  and  faithful  friend  of  the  plantation,  was  cal- 
led to  the  rewards  of  a  long  life,  characterised  by  fervent 
piety,  enlarged  benevolence,  incorruptible  integrity,  and 
the  practice  of  every  manly  virtue,  in  March,  16S7."$ 

♦Holme's  Annals,  vol.  1,  p.  369. 

■[Lincoln's  his.  Worcester,  p.  30. 

t      "  "  "  p.  30. 

§      "  "  "  p.  33. 


24  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

Capt.  Adam  Winthrop  was  appointed  to  the  office  which 
had  been  so  ably  filled  by  the  untiring  exertions  of  the 
much  lamented  Gookin.  The  Winthrop  family  of  Boston 
owned  extensive  tracts  of  land  in  North  and  South  Wor- 
cester. 

I  can  find  no  records,  which  lead  me  to  conclude,  that 
any  settlements  were  made  in  Worcester  North  half,  pre- 
viously to  1722.  The  solitude  of  the  wilderness  had  re- 
mained unbroken,  unless  the  occasional  report  of  an 
huntsman's  gun,  or  the  shrill  whoop  of  the  Indian,  echoing 
among  the  hills,  aroused  the  timid  deer,  or  hungry  wolf. 
Tradition  reports  that  numbers  of  each  species  continu- 
ed in  this  vicinity,  long  after  the  first  settlers  had  made 
their  homes  in  the  wilderness.  History  as  well  as  tradi- 
tion, describes  an  Indian  path  leading  from  Lancaster  to 
Hadley,  which  passed  through  the  north  part  of  this 
town,  near  the  farm  now  owned  by  Samuel  W.  Hubbard. 
Traces  of  this  path,  I  have  been  told  are  still  to  be  seen. 

One  century  had  now  elapsed,  since  the  Pilgrims  dis- 
embarked from  the  May  Flower,  upon  the  shores  of  New 
England.  It  had  been  a  century  of  labors,  of  hardships, 
perils  and  wars,  to  the  first  settlers  of  the  country.  Du- 
ring this  period,  the  colonies  were  continually  increasing 
in  population  and  importance.  Every  year  witnessed 
new  settlements  in  the  wilderness.  Hardy  adventurers 
were  carrying  to  the  westward  the  out-posts  of  civiliza- 
tion. The  town  of  Worcester  was  incorporated  June  14th, 
1722.*  In  the  month  of  October  following,  the  proprie- 
tors of  "common  and  undivided  lands"  in  the  town  of 
Worcester,  Voted — "  that  a  committee  of  five  persons  be 
chosen,  to  provide  a  surveyor,  and  that  he  proceed  forth- 
with to  measure  the  meadow  lands  in  Worcester  North 


♦Lincoln's  his.  Worcester,  p.  50. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  25 

half."*  Although  this  vote  was  not  then  carried  into 
execution,  in  consequence  of  certain  troubles  in  South 
Worcester,  yet  I  deem  it  worthy  of  special  notice,  be- 
cause from  this  date — the   last  Wednesday  of  October, 

1722,  authentic  records  of  this  township  have  been  care- 
fully preserved. 

An   incident   occurred    about   this    period — Spring  of 

1723,  which  led,  as  I  suppose,  to  the  forming  of  the  first 
settlement  in  this  town.  Mr.  Jonas  Rice,  a  citizen  of 
South  Worcester,  had  discovered  limestone  upon  the 
farm,  now  known  by  the  name  of  the  Ballard  Farm. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors,  in  March,  1723,  a  vote 
was  passed  granting  "  encouragement  to  the  first  finder 
of  limestones  and  undertaker  of  the  burning  lime  for  the 
supplying  the  town."  A  committee  was  appointed  to 
agree  with  Mr.  Rice  to  burn  lime  upon  the  following 
conditions,  viz  : 

1.  "  The  undertaker,  Mr.  Rice,  to  have  a  patent  for 
50  acres  of  land  to  be  allotted  him,  for  seven  years ;  and 
that  he  have  liberty  to  cut  wood  on  any  com?no?i  land  of 
the  proprietors,  and  that  every  body  else  be  forbid  dig- 
ging limestones,  or  cutting  wood,  until  the  end  of  said 
term." 

2.  "  That  the  town  be  allowed  2d.  per  bushel  for  all 
merchantable  lime." 

3.  "  That  all  the  inhabitants,  that  may  have  occasion, 
for  their  own  use  in  building  to  be  used  in  town,  shall 
give  12d.  per  bushel  for  it,  and  no  more." 

6.  "  That  the  undertaker  be  obliged  to  go  upon  the 
business  with  all  speed,  and  also  to  supply  the  inhabi- 
tants with  lime  for  their  own  use  when  they  want  it,  as 
soon  as  may  be  with  any  conveniency  and  that  they  be 

*  Proprietors'  Books,  Vol.  1  :  p.  1. 

3 


26 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN* 


preferred  before  any  other   persons   belonging  to  other 
towns."* 

The  lot  of  land,  known  upon  the  early  records  of  the 
town,  as  the  Lime  Lot,  was  sold,  in  the  year  1759,  to 
Mr.  Anthony  Clark.f  The  avails  form  a  part  of  the 
present  school  fund  of  the  town.  A  settlement  was 
made  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  lime  lot, 
which  is  supposed  to  be  the  first  settlement  in  Holden, 
The  remains  of  lime  kilns  still  appear  about  60  rods  south 
of  Timothy  Parker's  house.  That  part  of  the  town 
subsequently  set  off  to  form  West  Boylston,  was  very 
early  settled  by  the  Lovells. 

The  records  of  the  proprietors  of  the  common  and  un- 
divided lands  in  North  and  South  Worcester,  indicate 
that  vigorous  exertions  were  made  on  their  part  to  pro- 
mote the  rapid  settlement  of  this  portion  of  the  township, 
immediately  subsequent  to  the  incorporation  of  Worcester. 
They  caused  two  surveys  to  be  made,  one  in  the  autumn 
of  1723,  and  the  other  in  the  spring  of  1724.  The  land 
having  been  thus  surveyed,  was  divided  into  lots  contain- 
ing, respectively,  60  a.  and  100  a.  called,  first  and  sec- 
ond divisions.  Those  owning  land  in  South  Worcester 
were  entitled  to  tracts  of  land  in  North  Worcester,  agree- 
ably to  the  following  rules,  viz  :  A  land-holder  of  40 
acres  in  the  South  part  was  entitled  to  60  acres  of  the 
first  division,  and  100  acres  of  the  second  division,  "  and 
so  proportionable  to  bigger  or  lesser  lotts."  I  would  re- 
mark that  persons  were  left  to  the  choice  of  particular 
tracts,  having  first  cast  lots  for  priority  of  choice.  The 
individual  drawing  No.  1  was  allowed  to  pitch  first  in 
that  division  which  contained  60  a.  lots,  but  last  in 
the  other  division  which  contained   100    a.   lots.     The 


*  Proprietors'  Books,  Vol.  1  :  p.  3. 
t  Town  Records,  Vol.  1  :  p.  120. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  '27 

above   tracts  of  land  were  all  to  be  laid  out  in  squares, 
or  '•'  long  squares."* 

No  proprietor  was  more  active  and  efficient,  in  pro- 
moting the  welfare  of  North  Worcester,  at  this  earlv 
period,  than  Col.  Adam  Winthrop  of  Boston.  As  a  mark 
of  grateful  respect  to  this  gentleman  for  his  good  servi- 
ces, the  proprietors  passed  the  following  vote: — "Col. 
Adam  Winthrop  for  his  good  services  done  for  the  town 
of  Worcester  shall  have  the  first  pitch  in  the  North  half 
part  of  Worcester.7'!  For  years  subsequent  to  this  event, 
the  interests  of  North  Worcester  profitted  by  his  wise 
counsels  and  judicious  plans.  Ho  emphatically  may  be 
called  a  FATHER  to  the  town. 

Near  4000  acres  of  land,  in  North  Worcester,  were 
transferred  from  company  stock  to  private  individuals. 
Many  of  the  proprietors  of  lands  living  in  Boston  and 
vicinity,  their  meetings  were  frequently  held  in  that  city. 
To  facilitate  settlements  and  raise  the  value  of  landed 
property,  the  proprietors  appointed  a  committee  to  lay 
out  four  nublic  roads,  6  rods  wide,  from  the  centre  of 
North  Worcester,  in  such  ways  as  would  be  most  ser- 
viceable to  the  said  half  part  and  the  towns  adjoining.t 
The  centre  of  the  township  was  then  supposed  to  be 
about  50  or  60  rods  north  from  the  spot  occupied  by  the 
house  in  which  we  are  now  assembled.  These  public 
roads  were  laid  out  previously  to  any  portion  of  the 
township  becoming  the  private  property  of  individuals. 

From  the  consultation  of  ancient  records,  or  inquiries 
among  the  most  aged  inhabitants,  I  have  not  been  able 
to  decide  upon  the  precise  years  when  settlements  were 
made  in  different  parts  of  the  town.  The  number  of  in- 
habitants as  earlv  as  1733  was  sufficient  in  their  opinion 


*  Proprietors'  Books,  Vol.  1  :  p.   5,  6.      t  Ibid.   Vol.    1  :  p.  7.      %  Ibid, 
Vol.  1  :  p.  6. 


28  HISTORY   OF    HOLDEN. 

to  render  desirable  the  establishment  of  public  worship 
In  November  of  that  year,  James  Thompson,  who  lived 
beyond  the  Warner  Fa?-m,  associated  with  sixteen  other 
persons,  petitioned  the  proprietors,  praying  that  the  land 
might  be  taxed  to  defray  the  expenses  which  would 
arise  from  building  a  meeting  house  and  supporting  a 
minister.^  This  attempt  was  not  successful,  but  Thomp- 
son and  his  fellow  townsmen  did  not  relax  their  efforts. 
The  right  of  petition,  that  most  reasonable  of  all  rightsr 
they  continued  to  exercise,  until  their  desires  were  fully 
gratified,  when  they  obtained,  in  the  year  1736,  a  vote 
from  the  proprietors  to  erect  a  house  for  public  worship : 
" 50  feet  long;  40  wide  ;  and  22  between  the  joynts."f 
At  the  same  meeting  of  the  proprietors,  Dec,  1736,  it 
was  also  Voted  that  the  meeting  house  should  be  erected 
"about  60  rods  southward  from  the  place  where  four 
roads  meet." J  Capt.  Benjamin  Flagg,  Lieut.  Simon  Ba-~ 
vis,  and  Lieut.  Joseph  Hubbard,  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  select  the  proper  spot,  "  which  shall  be  found  the 
most  accommodable  therefor  to  be  fixed  and  staked  out.y,§ 

The  question  may  have  arisen  in  the  minds  of  some, 
of  this  audience,  what  was  the  character  of  the  ]preaeh~. 
ing  in  those  early  times?  A  vote  recorded  upon  the 
29th  page,  Vol.  1,  of  the  proprietors'  books,  furnishes  a 
most  satisfactory  answer.  December  29,  1736  :  "  Voted, 
That  provision  be  made  for  supporting  an  orthodox  min- 
ister to  preach  the  gospel  in  said  North  half  for  three 
years  next  to  come." 

To  defray  the  expenses  which  would  necessarily  arise 

*  Proprietors'  Books,  Vol.  1  :  p.  27.     t  Ibid,  Vol.  1  :  p.  29. 

t  The  first  meeting  house  occupied  the  site  where  now  stands  the  boose  of 
Col.  Damon.     It  never  was  painted.     The  windows   were   small,   and   get- 
with  diamond  glass  in  leaden  sashes  ;  nine   in   front   and  five  in  each   end. 
There  were  a  number  of  nuon-lwuses  near,  for  the   accommodation  of  per*" 
aons  living  at  a  distance. 

§  Proprietors'  Books,  VoJ.  1  :  p.  29. 


HIdTOX*    OF    KOLDEN.  29 

from  carrying  the  above  votes  into  execution,  a  tax  of 
Ad.  per  acre  for  the  first  year ;  2d.  per  acre  for  the  second 
year ;  and  3d.  per  acre  for  the  following  year,  was  as- 
sessed upon  all  lands  lying  within  the  North  half  of 
Worcester.* 

Reasons  sufficiently  strong  induced  the  inhabitants  of 
North  Worcester  to  take  the  proper  measures  for  obtain- 
ing a  separate  act  of  incorporation,  during  the  winter  of 
1739  and  40.  The  9th  of  Jan.,  1740,  has  for  a  long  pe, 
riod  been  the  date  assigned  for  the  incorporation  of  this 
town.  Without  doubt,  this  date  is  too  early  by  one  year. 
The  error  probably  arose  from  the  practice,  then  preva- 
lent in  the  colonies  and  throughout  Europe,  of  com, 
mencing  the  year  on  the  25th  of  March,  instead  of  the 
1st  of  January.  This  practice  went  into  disuse  in  the 
year  1752,  by  an  Act  of  Parliament ;  when  ^Sew  Style 
was  adopted  in  the  place  of  Old  Style,  f 

A  few  events,  worthy  of  notice,  which  took  place  pre- 
viously to  the  Act  of  incorporation  being  granted,  I  will 
proceed  to  narrate.  At  a  general  meeting  of  the  citizens 
of  North  and  South  Worcester,  held  March  3,  1740,  it  was 
voted,  that  the  North  half  part  of  the  township  be  set  off  a 
distinct  and  separate  town,  if  an  Act  to  that  effect  could 
be  obtained  from  the  General  Court. J  On  the  13th  of 
May  following,  a  petition,  signed  by  twenty-five  citizens 
of  North  Worcester,  was  forwarded  to  the  General  Court, 
praying  to  be  set  off  a  separate  and  distinct  town.  This 
petition  was  not  granted.  At  the  next  meeting  of  the 
General  Court — November  of  the  same  year — another  pe- 
tition was  presented  ;  and  the  petitioners  were  successful 
in  obtaining  An  Act  of  Incorporation.  The  Act  passed 
the  General  Court,  January  2,  and  was  signed  by  His 


§  Proprietors'   Eooks,  Vol.   1  :    p.  30.       t  Encyclopedia   Americana.* 
Vol.  4  :  p.  54D.      %  Worcester  Town  Records. 

3* 


30  HISTORY   OF   HOLDER 

Excellency,  Governor  Belcher,  Jan.  9,  1741;  and  in  the 
14th  year  of  the  reign  of  George  II. 

When  this  Act  had  passed  the  General  Court,  the 
North  half  of  Worcester  became  a  distinct  and  separate 
town,  "by  the  name  of  Holden,  with  all  the  powers,  privi- 
leges, and  immunities  which  the  inhabitants  of  other  towns 
within  this  Province  do,  and  by  law  ought  toenjoy."§ 

The  elevated  character  and  beneficent  exertions  of  the 
gentleman  in  honor  of  whom  this  town  received  its  name, 
merit,  on  the  present  occasion,  a  respectful  and  grateful 
notice. 

The  Hon.  Samuel  Holden  was  a  merchant  of  London. 
By  his  talents,  integrity,  and  great  capacity  in  mercan- 
tile affairs,  he  raised  himself  to  a  seat  in  Parliament, 
and  became  a  leading  Director  of  the  Bank  of  England. 
At  the  time  of  his  death,  June  13,  1740,  his  estate  was 
valued  at  £80,000  sterling.  Unfeigned  piety  and  abound- 
ing charities  added  lustre  and  power  to  the  other  excel- 
lencies of  his  character.  He  was  ackowledged  to  be  at 
the  head  of  the  Dissenters  in  Great  Britain,  which  cir- 
cumstance, probably  induced  him  to  direct  his  benevo- 
lent efforts  to  the  colonies  of  New  England.  For  more 
than  forty  years  he  was  a  correspondent  of  Dr.  Benjamin 
Coleman  of  Boston,  who  preached  a  sermon  on  the  oc- 
casion of  his  death  being  announced  in  this  country. 
This  sermon  having  been  preached  before  the  General 
Court  of  the  Colony,  an  Order  was  passed,  containing 

these  words  :    " be  a  committee  to  return 

the  thanks  of  this  Court  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Coleman,  for  his 
sermon  preached  this  day,  (September  4th,  1740,)  before 
the  Court,  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Sam- 
uel Holden,  an  eminent  friend  and  benefactor  of  the 
Province."     Mr.   Holden  furnished   abundant   proof  of 


*  Act  of  Incorporatiao.    See  Note  EL 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDER.  31 

his  desire  to  promote  the  cause  of  evangelical  pietyTn 
this  country.  Dr.  Coleman  received  from  him  39  sets  of 
Baxter's  practical  works,  in  4  massive  folios,  to  be  dis- 
tributed among  the  churches  of  New  England.  The 
sum  of  his  charities,  at  different  times,  amounted  to 
£4,847.  After  his  death,  his  widow  and  daughters  em- 
ulated his  noble  example  in  the  cause  of  benevolence. 
Holden  Chapel,  at  Cambridge,  was  built  by  their  gener- 
ous donations.  Numerous  theological  works  were  pre- 
sented by  them  to  the  first  Pastor  of  the  church  in  Hol- 
den, and  to  his  successors.  I  would  conclude  this  no- 
tice of  Mr.  Holden,  by  two  short  extracts  from  his 
letters.  Alluding  in  one  to  the  death  of  his  only  son,  he 
remarks. — "I  have  had  one  son,  and  it  pleased  God 
early  to  take  him  from  me ;  my  comfort  in  the  loss  of 
him  and  my  dear  mother,  was,  that  I  had  in  each,  one 
attachment  less  to  earth — one  argument  more  for  heaven." 
On  another  occasion  he  writes, — "I  hope  my  treasure  is 
in  heaven,  and  would  to  God  my  heart  were  more  there. 
Abstract  from  God  and  futurity,  I  would  not  accept  of  an 
eternity  here  in  any  other  circumstances  whatever.  "# 

By  an  order  of  the  General  Court,  issued  March  26. 
1741,  John  Bigelow,  a  principal  inhabitant  of  Holden. 
was  authorized  to  assemble  the  legal  voters,  at  some  con- 
venient place,  for  the  choice  of  town  officers.  The  citi- 
zens assembled,  in  obedience  to  that  order  on  the  4th  of 
May.  The  records  of  that  meeting  have  already  been 
rehearsed.  Another  meeting  was  legally  called,  after  the 
expiration  of  two  weeks,  for  the  transaction  of  town 
affairs.  Six  votes  are  recorded  upon  the  town  books  as 
having  been  passed  on  that  occasion.  To  the  honor  of 
the  citizens  of  Holden  legally  assembled  in  that  meeting. 

*  Dr.  Coleman's  Sermon.     President  Quincy'a  History  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity.    The  Gentleman'* Magazine.     Allen's  Biographical  Dictionary. 


32  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEfC.' 

the  vote  which  was  first  passed  deserves  to  be  written  in 
letters  of  gold:  "VOTED  TO  HAVE  THE  GOSPEL 
PREACHED  IN  TOWN."  The  following  two  relate  to 
the  same  subject.  The  fourth  vote  deserves  to  be  recorded 
in  characters  of  nearly  equal  brilliancy  with  the  first  : 
"VOTED  TO  HAVE  A  WRITING  AND  READING 
SCHOOL."  A  public  pound  was  the  object  of  the  fifth 
vote.  Then  followed  the  last  vote  passed  upon  the  occa- 
sion, which  related  to  a  tax  of  £50  to  be  raised,  "to  de- 
fray the  charge  of  preaching  and  schooling. "f 

One  hundred  years  have  passed,  and,  to  the  honor  of 
our  ancestors  and  their  children,  let  the  fact  be  published 
to  the  world,  that  the  spirit  which  animated  the  citizens 
of  Holden  on  that  day  still  burns  in  the  bosoms  of  their 
descendants.  Good  schools  and  good  preaching  have 
always  received  a  liberal  support  from  the  inhabitants  of 
this  town. 

During  the  year  1741,  a  school  of  3  months  was  main- 
tained, commencing  the  1st  of  September.  No  church, 
as  yet,  had  been  organized,  or  pastor  settled.  The  town, 
by  an  unanimous  vote,  July  19,  1742,  invited  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Davis  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry in  town.  A  salary  of  £180  (old  tenor,  $154  33)  was 
voted  to  be  annually  paid  to  him,  and  the  sum  of  £400  (O. 
T.  $343)  as  a  settlement  donation.  From  the  reply  of  Mr. 
Davis,  we  learn  the  manner  in  which  the  settlement  money 
was  to  be  paid.  After  expressing  his  acceptance  of  the 
salary  proposed,  he  proceeds  to  say — "  As  to  the  settle- 
ment, I  accept  the  same  as  follows  r.  I  take  the  lands  in 
the  said  Holden,  given  to  the  first  settled  minister,  f  viz. 
one  hundred  acres  of  upland  in  two  pieces,  each  con- 
taining 50  acres,  and  4  acres  of  meadow,  (so  called,)  at 
the  sum  of  £215,  (old  tenor,)  as  apprized  by  order  of  the 

*  Town  Records,  Vol.  1  :  p.  &     t  Proprietors'  Books.  Vol.  1  :  p.  15. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  33 

town,  with  the  proprietors'  concurrence,  in  part  for  my 
settlement  money.  2.  I  depend  on  receiving  from  the 
town  or  propriety  the  remaining  sum  of  £185  (O.  T.)  as 
soon  as  it  can  be  collected. "*" 

The  interesting  exercises  of  Mr.  Davis'  ordination 
were  performed  December  22,  1742.  Four  of  the  neigh- 
boring churches  were  represented  by  their  Pastors  and 
Delegates,  viz,  Lancaster,  Worcester,  Shrewsbury,  and 
Rutland.  A  church  was  regularly  organized  the  same 
day,  consisting  of  fourteen  members.  All  were  males. 
Nine  were  admitted  by  letters  from  other  churches,  and 
five  upon  profession. f 

The  leading  aims  of  the  first  settlers  of  Holden  were 
now  accomplished.  They  desired,  for  years,  "to  be  set 
of!  a  distinct  and  separate  town ;"  that  desire  was  now 
fully  gratified.  To  have  the  gospel  ministry  established 
in  their  midst,  was  the  object  of  their  most  strenuous 
efforts  and  ardent  prayers.  Those  efforts  were  now 
crowned  with  success,  and  those  prayers  literally  answer- 
ed. The  records  which  have  been  preserved  of  that 
period  most  clearly  indicate  great  harmony  and  peace 
among  the  citizens  of  Holden. 

Yv  e  must  now  begin  to  trace  the  influence  of  commo- 
tions and  wars  in  the  Old  World,  in  their  effects  upon 
the  Colonies  of  the  New,  if  a  correct  picture  be  exhibit- 
ed of  the  most  retired  settlement  in  the  wilderness. 

In  1744  England  declared  war  against  France.  The 
colonists  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  their  father-land. 
For  a  period  of  more  than  25  years,  previous  to  this  date, 
the  French  had  been  actively  employed  in  rendering  more 
secure  their  possessions  in  North  America.  To  protect 
their  navigation  and  fisheries,  they  had  built  the  town  oi 
Louisbourg,  on  the  island  of  Cape  Briton  in  Nova  iSco- 

r  Town  Rec,  Vol.  1  :  p.  9.    t  Church  Rec,  Vol.  1  :  p.  27.    See  Note  C. 


•■?' 


4  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


tia.  Vast  sums  of  money  had  there  been  expended. 
Forts  had  been  erected  and  batteries  planted.  "This 
place  was  deemed  so  strong  and  impregnable  as  to  be 
called  the  Dunkirk  of  America."  Gov.  Shirley  of  Mas- 
sachusetts projected  a  plan  for  the  reduction  of  this 
strong  hold.  The  province  of  Massachusetts  was  called 
upon  to  furnish  more  than  3,000  men  for  this  enterprise. 
Hvery  town  responded  to  the  summons.  We  have  the 
strongest  circumstantial  evidence  that  Holden  furnished 
its  quota  of  soldiers.  Many  of  the  muster  rolls  of  the 
forces  then  raised  having  been  destroyed,  I  am  unable  to 
rehearse  the  names  of  soldiers  drafted  from  Holden. 
The  enterprize  was  most  successfully  executed.  The 
labors  and  dangers  encountered  by  the  colonists  of  New 
England,  are  well-nigh  incredible.  When  the  news  of 
this  event  reached  Europe,  u  the  enterprise,  patriotism, 
and  firmness  of  the  colonists  were  justly  extolled. "# 

In  tracing  the  history  of  Holden,  we  are  approaching 
the  close  of  that  generation,  who  may  be  called — 

The  First  Settlers  op  Holden. 
With  the  most  intense  interest  must  our  minds  linger 
around  this  period  of  our  history.  The  men  of  that 
day  had  difficulties  and  trials  to  overcome  such  as  meet 
the  first  settlers  in  every  new  country.  To  clear  the 
forests,  erect  houses,  make  roads,  build  bridges,  main- 
tain schools,  and  support  the  gospel  ministry,  were  ob- 
jects most  cheerfully  performed  by  our  worthy  ancestors. 
Barely  to  live  was  not  the  whole  of  life  with  them ;  it 
was  their  determination  to  live  as  honest  men,  good 
neighbors,  honorable  citizens,  and  accountable  to  God. 
From  no  source  of  information  have  I  gathered  facts 
which  would  lead  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  first  settlers 
of  Holden  were  inferior  to  that  generation  of  men  whose 


*  Holmes'  Annals,  II.,  p.  23,  28. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN, 

settlement  in  New  England  forms  so  important  an  epoch 
in  history,  and  whose  fame  knows  no  other  limits  than 
the  whole  civilized  world.  It  is  not  until  1753  that  I 
discover  any  public  misdemeanor  to  have  been  commit- 
ted by  a  citizen  of  Holden, — when  two  boys  were  fined 
£1,  7sh.,  for  breaking  glass  in  the  meeting  house. * 

A  large  proportion  of  the  families  first  settling  in  Hol- 
den, could  trace  their  ancestry  back  to  the  earlier  settler^ 
of  New  England.  Many  came  from  Concord,  some  from 
Lexington,  and  others  from  Watertown,  Medfield,  and 
other  towns  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Province.  Through 
one  of  these  families,  His  Excellency,  the  present  Gov- 
ernor of  Massachusetts,  traces  the  line  of  his  ancestors. 
I  refer  to  the  family  of  Mr.  Simon  Davis,  moderator  of 
the  first  town  meeting.  He  was  also  chosen,  at  the  same 
meeting,  chairman  of  the  board  of  Selectmen,  and  Grand- 
juryman.  During  his  life  he  sustained  the  most  impor- 
tant offices  in  the  power  of  his  fellow  townsmen  to  be- 
stow, and  died,  Feb.  16,  1763,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty  years. f 

The  charge  of  excessive  vanity  has.  again  and  again, 
been  cast  upon  the  people  of  New  England,  for  speaking 
in  terms  which  betray  warm  admiration  for  the  charac- 
ter of  their  ancestors.  Those  who  would  reproach  us 
being  the  judges,  there  is  acknowledged  truth  in  a 
quaintly  expressed  sentiment  of  an  old  writer:  "  The 
Lord  sifted  the  kingdoms  of  Europe  to  obtain  good 
seed  wherewith  to  plant  the  sterile  fields  of  New  Eng- 
land/'    (I  quote  from  memory.) 

Allusion  has  already  been  made  to  the  fact  that  wars 


*Town  Records,  Vol.  1  :  p.  64.  "Voted,  £1-75.  now  in  the  Trea^o- 
rer's  hands,  that  he  received  from  Isaac  Lealand  and  Joseph  Bash  for  their 
shooting  at  the  meeting  house,  be  for  mending  the  glass  and  other  breaches 
in  said  meeting  house  ?" 

t  Towa  Records  and  Grave-stone, 


36  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

among  the  nations  of  Europe  affected  the  welfare  of  the 
American  Colonies.  The  war  known  in  history  by  the 
name  of  "French  and  Indian  War.'1'  furnishes  melan- 
choly evidence  for  the  truth  of  this  statement.  "  The 
military  records  of  those  wars,"  writes  Governor 
Everett,  "as  far  as  the  province  of  Massachusetts  is 
concerned  are  still  in  existence.  The  original  muster 
rolls  are  preserved  in  the  State  House  at  Boston.  They 
prove  that  the  people  of  Massachusetts,  between  the 
years  1755  and  1763  performed  an  amount  of  military 
service,  probably  never  exacted  of  any  other  people,  liv- 
ing under  a  government  professing  to  be  free.  Not  a 
village  in  Massachusetts,  but  sent  its  sons  to  lay  their 
bones  in  the  West  Indies,  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  the  Cana- 
dian wilderness.  Judge  Minot  states,  that  in  the  year 
L757,  one  third  part  of  the  effective  men  of  Massachu- 
setts were,  in  some  way  or  other,  in  the  field,  and  that 
the  taxes  imposed  on  real  property  in  Boston,  amounted 
to  two  thirds  of  the  income.' '* 

I  have  examined  many  of  the  old  muster  rolls  and 
other  records  relating  to  this  war,  now  safely  deposited 
in  our  State  archives.  From  those  papers  I  have  copied 
the  names  of  such  persons  as  engaged  in  the  French 
and  Indian  war  who  were  drafted  from  Holden  : — Wil- 
liam Fisher,  Richard  Flagg,  Samuel  Boyd,  and  Peter 
Nutten,  enlisted  into  the  company  of  Capt.  Benj.  Flagg 
of  Worcester,  to  strengthen  the  forces  stationed  at  Lake 
George.  Henry  Rice,  Job  Harris,  Samuel  Estabrook, 
John  Murphey,  Jedediah  Estabrook,  (son  of  Samuel  Es- 
tabrook.) Samuel  Hubbard,  jr.,  Samuel  Bigelow,  John 
Woodward,  Samuel  Thompson,  and  Ebenezer  Fletcher, 
enlisted  into  the  company  of  Capt.  John  Chandler,  for 
the  invasion  of  Canada.     In  an  expedition  to  Crown  Pt., 

*  Everett's  Orations,  p.  500. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  37 

the  following  persons  served  under  Cant.  Fletcher  of 
Rutland,  viz.,  Ebenezer  FletcheT,  1st  Lieut.,  Ebenezer 
Fletcher,  jr.,  2d  Lieut.,  Samuel  Estabrook  and  son,  Job 
Harris,  Samuel  Hubbard,  and  John  Murphy,  Privates. 
There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  many  other  soldiers  from 
Holden  engaged  in  this  war,  whose  names  cannot  now 
be  given,  because  until  within  a  few  years,  no  pains 
were  taken  to  preserve  the  muster  rolls  of  those  early 
wars. 

Our  fathers  were  willing  to  expose  their  lives  and  ex- 
pend their  fortunes  for  the  welfare  of  the  mother  coun- 
try. The  American  Colonists  were  as  loyal  subjects  of 
the  Crown  of  England,  as  those  personally  serving  in 
the  palace  of  King  George  III.  The  French  and  Indian 
war,  from  this  circumstance,  has  not  inappropriately 
been  styled  t:  the  school  of  the  Revolution"  Washington 
distinguished  himself  as  a  brave  commander  in  this 
war,  and  from  the  English  learned  the  science  of  mili- 
tary tactics.  During  that  war,  many  of  his  officers  and 
private  soldiers  became  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
practical  duties  of  the  camp  and  field.  From  the  point 
of  observation  which  we  occupy,  it  most  readily  appears 
how  important  was  that  service  to  prepare  those  men 
for  the  stations  of  trust  and  responsibility,  which  they 
were  called  to  occupy  at  a  subsequent  period  of  their 
lives. 

Before  proceeding  to  speak  of  events  in  the  revolu- 
tionary war  as  they  affected  the  progress  of  affairs  in 
Holden,  I  shall  notice  some  records  preserved  among  our 
church  and  town  papers.  In  1759,  Daniel  Henchman, 
Esq.,  of  Boston,  gave  to  the  town,  the  spot  of  land  oc- 
cupied for  the  first  burying  ground,  measuring  12  rods 
long,  and  10  rods  broad.*     Additions  have  since  been 

*  The  Deed. 


J* 


38  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEJC. 

made  increasing  the  area  to  its  present  dimensions.  The 
20th  of  August,  1761,  was  observed  as  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer  by  reason  of  a  severe  drought.*  During  the 
early  history  of  the  town  frequent  mention  is  made  that 
public  schools  were  kept  at  houses  of  private  persons. 
In  1752,  a  school  was  kept  3  months  at  Mr.  Joseph  Hub- 
bard's house  :  another  school,  the  same  year,  at  Lieut. 
Cyprian  Stevens'  house.  During  the  following  year, 
schools  were  kept  in  other  parts  of  the  town, — 3  months 
at  the  centre  ;  3  months  at  Jonathan  Lo veil's  house ;  and 
3  months  at  Lieut.  Richard  Flagg's  house.  In  1754,  it 
was  voted,  in  town  meeting,  that  £l3-6s.-8d.,  be  appro- 
priated for  the  erection  of  a  school  house  at  the  centre 
of  the  town.  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  that  this 
vote  was  carried  into  execution.  Tradition  reports  that 
the  first  school  house  was  erected  in  the  east  part  of  the 
town,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Billiard  place.  The 
sum  annually  appropriated  for  schools  gradually  in- 
creased from  year  to  year.  In  1752,  the  sum  of  £11-125. 
was  raised  for  6  months  schooling  ;  and  in  1762  the  sum 
had  increased  to  £30,  including  the  interest  upon  the 
lime  lot.\ 

The  connection  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Davis,  as  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Holden,  continued  until  January,  1773 ; 
when  he  was  dismissed  at  his  own  request.  From  a 
printed  sermon  of  Mr.  Davis,  I  have  gathered  some  sta- 
tistics relating  to  the  history  of  this  town,  worthy  of 
preservation,  as  they  were  collected  by  one  so  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  first  settlers  of  Holden.  I  would 
remark  that  Mr.  Davis  preached  this  sermon  January  2, 
1793,  fifty  years  having  passed  since  his  introduction  to 
the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry.  "  At  first,"  writes  Mr. 
Davis,  "  your  increase  was  slow  ;  little  alteration  for  the 

*  Church  Records.     +  Town  Records. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  39 

term  of  five  years  ;  but,  afterwards,  the  increase  was 
more  ;  for.  at  the  end  of  ten  years,  your  number  of  fami- 
lies was  fifty-five.  For  the  second  ten  years,  the  in- 
crease in  families  was  small,  only  ten.  The  last  ten 
years  of  my  ministry,  the  increase  was  fifty  one.  The 
whole  number  at  my  dismission,  about  one  hundred  and 
six  families.  There  had  been  642  births  :  about  'S.iO 
were  males,  and  about  310  were  females.  There  have 
died  214  persons  :  about  80  under  the  age  of  two  years ; 
and  more  than  half  under  the  age  of  five.  The  number 
baptized  by  me  about  520.  At  the  end  of  twenty  years 
the  church  consisted  of  about  75  members,  and  when  I 
was  dismissed  of  86  :  38  males.  4S  females.  There  was 
a  remarkable  sickness  about  seven  years  after  my  settle- 
ment :  22  persons  died.  And  about  6  years  after,  the 
year  after  the  great  Earthquake,  a  raging  distemper  car- 
ried off  about  45  persons  in  a  short  time,  mostly  younger 
persons  and  children.'"* 

The  great  earthquake,  to  which  allusion  is  made  in 
the  above  extract,  occurred  November  15,  1755.  The 
shock  was  felt  in  various  parts  of  North  America.  In 
Boston.  "  100  chimnies  were  in  a  manner  levelled  with 
the  roof  of  the  houses.  Many  clocks  were  stopped." 
In  New  Haven,  Ct..  "  the  ground  in  many  places  seemed 
to  rise  like  waves  of  the  sea.  The  motion  of  the  earth 
was  undulatory.  Its  extent  was  from  Chesape&k  Bay. 
southwest,  to  Halifax,  northeast,  about  800  miles." "t 
The  effects  of  this  earthquake  were  most  visibly  appar- 
ent in  that  part  of  Holden,  subsequently  set  off  to  form 
the  town  of  West  Boylston.  The  Rev.  John  Mellen.  at 
that  period  pastor  of  the  second  church  of  Lancaster, 
(now  Sterling.)  has  given  a  minute  description  of  the 
place,  as  it  then  appeared.     Several  acres  of  land  were 

*  Rev.  Mr.  Davis's  Sermoo,  p.  20,  21.     t  Holmes'  Annals,  II.,  p.  67. 


40 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


sunk,  in  some  places  "  more  than  the  height  of  a  man.?? 
Trees  on  each  side  of  the  breach  were  thrown  in  various 
directions,  "  and  some  sometimes  crossing  each  other 
over  head,  at  right  angles,  sometimes  thrown  up  by  the 
roots."  The  old  channel  being  blocked  up,  the  water 
flows  in  an  entirely  new  direction.  The  stump  of  a  tree 
that  happened  to  stand  directly  over  the  chasm,  on  the 
east,  is  divided  into  equal  parts,  one  standing  on  the  out- 
side of  the  chasm  ;  the  other  on  the  inside,  but  not  op- 
posite to  each  other.  The  half  within  the  chasm  being 
carried  five  feet  forward  towards  the  river. *  It  is  a  re- 
markable fact  that  this  earthquake  occurred  the  same 
month  and  year  with  that  terrible  convulsion  of  the 
earth,  which  sunk  a  portion  of  Lisbon,  the  chief  city  of 
Portugal,  containing  a  population  of  150,000  ;  one  fifth 
part  of  whom  suddenly  perished.  Every  church  and 
convent  fell.  Fires  broke  out,  two  hours  after  the  shock, 
which  continued  to  rage  for  three  days,  so  that  the  city 
was  completely  desolated.f 

The  church  in  Holden  remained  without  a  pastosr 
nearly  two  years  after  the  dismission  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Davis.  December  21st,  1774,  Mr.  Joseph  Avery,  having 
received  a  call  from  the  church  and  town,  was  ordained 
to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry. $  His  annual  salary 
was  established,  £66-1 35. -4c?.,  lawful  money,  ($222  22)  ; 
and  the  sum  of  £133-65.-86?.,  L.  M.,  ($444  44)  was  vo- 
ted as  a  settlement  donation. 

Some  prominent  events  of  the  Revolutionary  war  now 
claim  our  attention,  if  we  would  carefully  trace  the  his- 
tory of  this  town,  during  that  most  eventful  period  in 
our  country's  history.  The  first  allusion  to  events  which 
led  to  that  war  I  find  upon  the  records  of  the  church  in 


*  Massachusetts  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  4,  let  Series,  p   231.     t  En- 
cjulopaedia  Americana,  VII?.,  p.  10.     $  See  Note  D. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  1  I 

the  hand- writing  of  the  pastor.  "October  12,  17GS,  ob- 
served as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  on  account  of  the 
aspects  of  Divine  Providence  in  our  public  affairs.51*  By 
consulting  Provincial  history,  the  cause  is  readily  appar- 
ent why  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  was  observed.  Oc- 
tober 1st,  numerous  companies  of  British  soldiers  had 
been  stationed  in  the  city  of  Boston.  "The  colon! 
felt  disgusted  and  injured,  but  not  overawed,  by  the 
presence  of  obtruded  soldiery. "f  How  truly  character- 
istic of  the  genuine  sons  of  the  Puritans,  was  the  con- 
duct of  the  good  people  of  this  town,  on  the  present  oc- 
casion. "The  aspects  of  Divine  Providence"  in  "pub- 
lic affairs"  betokening  civil  commotions,  our  fathers 
were  ready  to  humble  themselves  before  God.  War 
might  come.  How  accordant  with  the  dictates  of  reason 
and  the  soundest  principles  of  religion,  to  look  for  guid- 
ance and  direction  to  a  wise  and  benevolent  God  ! 

A  town  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Boston  was  held 


*  Church  Records,  Vol.  1  :  p.  42. 

t  "  On  the  day  after  the  arrival,  the  fleet  [the  man-of-war  and  transports 
from  Halifax]  came  to  anchor  near  Castle  William.  Having  taken  a  station 
which  commanded  the  town,  the  troops,  under  cover  of  the  cannon  of  the 
ships,  landed  without  molestation,  and,  to  the  number  of  700  men,  march- 
ed, with  muskets  charged,  bayonets  fixed,  martial  music,  and  the  usual  mil- 
itary parade,  into  the  common.  In  the  evening,  the  selectmen  of  Boston 
were  required  to  quarter  the  two  regiments  in  the  town  ;  but  they  absolute- 
ly refused.  A  temporary  shelter,  however,  in  Fanueil  Hall,  was  permitted 
to  one  regiment,  that  was  without  its  camp  equipage.  *  *  The  lower 
floor  of  the  State  House,  which  had  been  used  by  gentlemen  and  merchants 
as  an  exchange,  the  Representatives'  chamber,  the  Court  House,  Fanueil 
Hall — places  with  which  were  intimately  associated  ideas  of  justice  and  free- 
dona,  as  well  as  of  convenience  and  utility — were  now  filled  with  regu';.r 
soldiers.  *  *  The  common  was  covered  with  tents.  Sentinels  challeng- 
ed the  inhabitants  as  they  passed.  The  Lord's  day  was  profaned,  and  the 
devotions  of  the  Sanctuary  disturbed,  by  the  sound  of  drums  and  other  mil- 
itary mQ9ic." — Holmes'  Anna,ls,  II. }  p.  158,  9. 

4* 


42  HISTORY    OP    HOLDEN. 

November  2,  1772.  A  large  committee — James  Otis, 
chairman — was  appointed  on  the  motion  of  Samuel  Ad- 
ams. This  committee  was  instructed  to  state  the  rights 
of  the  colonists,  and  of  this  Province  in  particular,  as 
men.  as  Christians,  and  as  subjects;  to  communicate 
and  publish  the  same  to  the  several  towns  in  this  Pro- 
vince and  to  the  World,  as  the  sense  of  this  town,  with 
the  infringements  and  violations  thereof  that  have  been. 
or  from  time  to  time  may  be  made;  also   requesting  of 

;h  town  a  free  communication  of  their  sentiments  on 
the  subject.  The  letter  of  correspondence  to  the  several 
towns,  closes  with  these  words  :  "  Let  us  consider, 
brethren,  we  are  struggling  for  our  best  birth  rights  and 
inheritance,  which  being  infringed  renders  all  our  bless- 
ings precarious  in  their  enjoyment,  and  consequently 
trifling  in  their  value.  Let  us  disappoint  the  men.  who 
are  raisins  themselves  on  the  ruin  of  this  countrv.  Let 
us  convince  every  invader  of  our  freedom,  that  we  will 
be  as  free,  as  the  Constitution  our  fathers  recognized. 
will  justify."*  A  pamphlet,  containing  the  resolutions 
of  this  meeting  and  the  appeal  of  the  committee  was 
printed  and  extensively  circulated  through  the  colonies. 
but  particularly  in  the  towns  of  the  province  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay.     The  public  mind  was  aroused.     The  re- 

ves  of  the  Boston  patriots  were  cordially  responded  to 
from  the  most  retired  villages  in  the  Province.  The 
citizens  cf  Holden  passed  fourteen  resolutions,  making 
known  in  the  most  unequivocal  language,  their  senti- 
ments. The  length  of  this  document,  alone,  prevents 
me  from  copying  it  entire,  to  be  read  on  the  present  oe- 
•  ision.  Listen  to  the  1st,  4th,  9th,  and  13th  resolutions, 
as  exhibiting  the  spirit  which  animated  the  bosoms  of 
r.r  fathers,  in  those  days  which  ,;  tried  men's  souls." 

*  Holmes'  Aaaab,  II.,  p.  178. 


HISTORY    OP    HOLDEN.  43 

1.  "  Resolved,  That  Liberty,  both  Religious  and  civil, 
is  a  most  precious  and  inestimable  gift  of  the  great  and 
glorious  Creator  of  all  things,  granted  to  all  rational 
creatures  ;  neither  can  any  person  or  persons  innocently 
give  or  sell  it  away  from  himself  any  more  than  he  can 
take  it  from  another.* 

2.  "  If  any  have  been  so  unhappy  as  to  surrender 
their  Liberty,  such  act  of  theirs  cannot  induce  any  moral 
obligation  of  servitude  on  them  personally  ;  especially 
if  they  were  enslaved  by  irresistible  power  ;  surely  then 
it  cannot  reasonably  bind  their  successors  in  every  fu- 
ture generation. 

3.  "  That  it  is  to  us  equally  manifest  that  no  one  nation. 
State,  or  political  society,  has  any  right  to  rule  or  command 
another,  especially  without  the  consent  of  the  latter. 

4.  "The  people  of  New  England  have  never  given 
the  people  of  Britain  any  right  of  jurisdiction  over  us> 
consequently  we  deem  it  to  be  the  most  unwarrantable 
usurpation,  and  view  it  as  an  insufferable  insult  in  the 
British  Parliament  that  they  assume  a  Legislative  Au- 
thority over  the  American  colonies. 

5.  "  We  cheerfully  profess  the  most  perfect  Loyalty 
to  the  King,  as  having  an  essential  voice  in  our  charter 
government. 

6.  "  We  are  assured  that  no  political  community  on 
earth  can  truly  enjoy  Liberty  without  civil  government ; 
Therefore,  civil  government  is  an  invaluable  divine 
blessing ;  and  Anarchy  is  the  greatest  of  public  evils- 
one  only  excepted,  that  is  a  state  of  complete  and  coi£ 
firmed  Tyranny. 

7.  "  And  such  Tyranny  is  evidently  the  object  of  some 
very  recent  measures  of  the  British  administration  and 


*  Some  gentlemen  have  expressed  a  wish  to  see  these    Resolutions  prim- 
ed, entir* 


44  HISTORY    OP   HOLDEN. 

government ;  particularly  those  mentioned  to  us  in  a 
letter  from  our  worthy  friends,  the  citizens  of  Boston ; 
and  the  project  of  despotism  and  arbitrary  government 
appears  to  be  nearly  accomplished  and  settled,  so  that 
nothing  but  the  vigilance  and  combined  efforts  of  this 
people,  under  the  auspicious  Providence  of  Heaven  can 
save  us  from  abject  Slavery  and  Total  Ruin. 

8.  "  Therefore,  we  are  compelled  to  speak  and  divulge 
our  sober  and  very  grievous  apprehensions,  and  are 
willing  all  mankind  should  know  that  we  are  far  from 
acquiescing  in  the  many  gross  violations  of  our  just 
rights,  too  conspicuous  and  palpable  now  to  require  a 
particular  enumeration,  and  truly  we  should  be  charge- 
able with  very  criminal  silence,  if  we  did  not  remon- 
strate against  every  glaring  attempt  of  any  persons  of 
what  Rank  or  Denomination  so  ever,  to  bereave  us  of 
our  Liberty. 

9.  "  Resolved,  That  the  right  of  Kings  (whether  it  be 
a  human  or  divine  right)  is  founded  on  the  same  princi- 
ples of  public  Liberty,  which  we  assert ;  and  the  right 
of  our  present  Sovereign,  George  III.,  to  the  British 
throne  was  explicitly  by  compact  derived  from  the  same 
principle. 

10.  "  And  therefore  we  must  behold  them  as  guilty  of 
treason  against  his  sacred  Majesty  and"  his  illustrious 
House,  who  are  making  attempts  to  subvert  the  liberties 
of  his  faithful  subjects,  as  nothing  can  be  more  repug- 
nant to  the  Constitution  of  England  and  of  this  province, 
than  that  George  should  be  King  of  slaves ;  so  if  the  an- 
tiquated doctrine  of  passive  obedience  and  non-resistance 
should  now  revive  and  move  abroad,  and  half  the  nation 
were  so  blind  and  infatuate  as  to  embrace  such  a  deform- 
ed Monster,  the  throne  must  shake  and  tremble  to  its 
base  !     The  Lord  Almighty  avert  the  horrid  catastro- 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  45 

phy ;  to  prevent  it  onr  prayers  and  endeavors  shall  not 
be  wanting  ! 

11.  "In  publishing  our  sentiments  and  resolutions  we 
are  moved  by  natural  and  Christian  benevolence  to  the 
good  people  of  Britain,  whose  prosperity  is  dear  to  us  as 
our  own.  It  is  therefore  our  hearty  prayer  that  God 
would  preserve  them  from  the  depth  of  political  lethargy 
and  mercifully  defend  them  from  the  iron  fang  of  tyran- 
ny, as  slavery  has  ever  been  abhorrant  to  the  Genius  of 
Britain;  it  must  be  peculiarly  shameful  and  painful  to 
Englishmen,  till  we  shall  have  lost  the  spirit  of  our  truly 
worthy  ancestors,  and  forfeited  the  English  name.  As 
we  are  far  from  suspecting  the  people  of  Britain  (our  okl 
Ally)  of  being  enimical  to  us,  our  ardent  brotherly  love 
to  them  is  an  additional  incitement  to  assert  our  own 
freedom  ;  it  being  very  certain  that  if  liberty  expires, 
here,  it  will  not  long  survive,  there ;  we  are  therefore 
ambitious  of  transmitting  our  names  to  all  posterity,  as 
favored  instruments  in  the  hands  of  God,  of  having  pre- 
served Britain  from  destruction,  therefore,  we  supplicate 
the  Throne  of  Mercy,  that  God  would  excite  his  people 
in  Britain  and  America  to  a  reformation  of  morals,  be- 
cause, as  sin  is  the  reproach  and  ruin  of  any  people,  so 
righteousness  exalteth  a  nation  to  the  summit  of  happi- 
ness and  glory. 

12.  "Therefore,  Resolved,  That  there  is  an  intimate 
connection  between  the  Liberty  and  Virtue  of  any  peo- 
ple ;  if  Liberty  be  gone,  Religion  will  infallibly  languish 
to  extinction. 

13.  "We  plead  for  Liberty,  because  it  is  the  respecta- 
ble patroness  of  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences.  This  was 
doubtless  the  judgment  of  our  pious  and  worthy  ances- 
tors, who  chose  a  wild  desert  with  Liberty ;  rather  than 
the  fruitful   fields  and  beautiful  gardens  of  their  native 


46>  HISTORY    OF    HOLBEN. 

land  with  slavery  :  and  who  were  in  their  first  settlement, 
very  zealous  to  erect  a  seminary  of  learning  as  well  as 
to  build  and  multiply  christian  churches.  We  desire  to 
follow  their  noble  example,  to  promote  in  our  measure 
learning  and  liberty,  in  delightful  and  harmonious  union,, 
and  would  now  recommend  it  to  our  children  and  their 
successors,  forever,  to  be  imitators  of  us,  and  of  our  tru- 
ly wise,  and  virtuous  and  venerable  progenitors. 

14.  "  We  think  it  our  duty,  on  this  occasion  on  behalf 
of  ourselves  and  our  dear  country,  to  express  our  sincere 
gratitude  to  the  respectable  gentlemen  of  Boston  for  the 
light  and  counsel,  they  have  presented  to  us  in  the  circu- 
lar letter,  and  their  many  geneious  efforts  in  the  cause 
of  liberty,  and  it  is  our  earnest  prayer  to  Almighty  God, 
that  they  may  be  animated,  still  to  proceed  and  that  they 
may  prosper  according  to  the  desire  of  their  hearts,  and 
receive  the  most  ample  and  durable  reward. 

"And,  That  the  above  resolves  be  recorded  on  the  town 
books  of  records,  and  that  the  Town  Clerk  give  an  at- 
tested copy  to  said  Committee  of  Correspondence  at  Bos- 
ton. 

"  The  above  being  put  to  vote  and  passed  in  the  affir- 
mative." 

"JOHN  CHILDS,  } 

JONA.  WHEELER,    [  Commitiee  " 
ANDREW  SMITH,    [  ^ommiuee- 

JAMES  DAVIS,  J 

"JOHN  CHILDS,  Moderator^ 
The  way  was  rapidly  preparing  for  an  open  rupture 
between  England  and  her  American  Colonies.  The  co- 
ercive  measures  of  the  British  Parliament  required  the 
Colonists  to  acknowledge  principles  subversive  of  true 
liberty.  Petitions  and  remonstrances  failed  to  reconcile 
the   parties.      War   came.      "  Disperse — Disperse — you 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  47 

rebels ;  throw  down  your  arms  and  disperse/'*  were  the 
words  of  Major  Pitcairn,  as  he  approached  the  sturdy 
yeomanry  of  Massachusetts,  assembled  upon  the  plains 
of  Lexington.  Then  followed  the  discharge  of  muskets. 
Eight  brave  Americans  fell.  The  shouts  of  an  exulting 
foe,  and  the  expiring  groans  of  the  dying,  were  harsh 
sounds,  in  the  ears  of  men  whose  grandsires  were  Puri- 
tans. They  were  notes  of  alarm  to  every  genuine  lover 
of  liberty  throughout  the  colonies.  This  town  furnished 
a  company  of  70  men,  ready  to  leave  their  homes,  at 
the  first  alarm. 

The  population  of  the  town,  at  that  time,  numbered 
about  750.f  Nearly  one  tenth  of  the  entire  population 
was  prepared  to  engage  in  actual  service.  During  the 
progress  of  the  war,  drafts  were  made  for  soldiers  from 
Holden,  to  serve  at  various  military  stations  in  the  Nor- 
thern States.  Wherever  troubles  existed,  or  dangers 
were  apprehended,  thither  marched  soldiers  from  this 
town.  Some  went  to  Rhode  Island,  others  to  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia.  The  terms  of 
service  of  individual  soldiers  in  the  common  militia, 
when  added,  amount  to  74  years,  supposing  it  to  have 
been  performed  by  one  man,  at  an  expense  to  the  town 
of  £l,9§l-0s-lld.%  No  reference  is  made  in  this  calcu- 
lation to  the  soldiers  in  the  regular  continental  army,  un- 
der the  immediate  command  of  Washington.  In  this 
army  25  soldiers  enlisted  from  Holden,  for  the  term  of 
3  years,  or  during  the  war.  Each  one  of  these  men  re- 
ceived £20  or  more  as  Bounty  money,  at  the  time  of  their 
enlistment :  So  that  during  the  year  1777,  £763-0s-12c£ 
were  paid  from  the  town  treasury  to  discharge  the  lia* 


*  Holmes  'Annals,  p.  204. 

t  See  Note  E.     fTown  Records,  vol.  2.— See  Note  F. 


48  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.. 

bilities,  which  had  been  thus  incurred,  to  enlist  soldiers.* 
It  would  be  interesting  if  time  permitted,  to  narrate 
the  history  of  each  soldier,  who  went  from  Holden,  to 
contend  with  the  disciplined  troops  of  England,  upon 
the  field  of  battle.  I  will  allude  to  a  few.  Thomas 
Heard  was  the  only  person  killed  in  actual  service.  He 
fell  near  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  and  his  dead  body  was  borne 
away  by  William  Ebet.  Moses  Wheeler  and  Jeremiah 
Fuller  died  at  Valley  Forge,  Penn.,  having  suffered  most 
intensely  from  cold  and  hunger.  David  Potter  deserted 
to  the  enemy,  having  previously  been  saved  from  the  ig- 
nominy of  a  public  execution,  by  the  timely  interposition 
of  Lady  Washington.  The  conduct  of  his  brother  James 
was  far  different.  He  was  among  the  foremost  to  o'er- 
leap  the  heights  at  Yorktown,  causing  thousands  of  the 
British  soldiers  to  surrender,  whilst  their  General.  Lord 
Cornwallis  surrenders  his  sword  into  the  hand  of  Wash- 
ington. 

Capt.  George  Webb  was  the  only  commissioned  officer, 
in  the  continental  service  from  Holden.  At  the  time  of 
his  enlistment,  he  was  not  an  inhabitant  of  the  town. 
He  came  with  his  family  to  this  place  during  the  war. 
Capt.  Webb  was  a  fearless  soldier,  and  an  high-spirited 
officer.  Whenever  an  enterprise  requiring  bravery  and 
skill,  was  to  be  undertaken,  Washington  and  Lafayette 
knew  Capt.  Webb  to  be  a  man  to  their  minds.  I  hold  in 
my  hand  the  original  copy  of  a  letter,  addressed  by  Gen- 
eral Lafayette,  to  Capt.  Webb.  I  will  read  the  first  sen- 
tence— "  Dear  Sir — Your  successful  skirmish  had  affor- 
ded me  the  most  greatest  pleasure,  and  I  request  you  will 
receive  yourself  and  present  to  your  company  my  best 
thanks  on  the  occasion."!     It  was  in  the  company  of 


♦State  Records. — See  Note  G. 

t  Letter  found  among  the  old  papers  of  Capt.  Webb. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  AO 

Capt.  Webb,  that  Deborah  Sampson,  an  American  young 
lady,  served  as  a  continental  soldier,  for  nearly  three 
years.  She  performed  the  duties  of  every  station  assign- 
ed to  Jier,  with  punctual  exactness,  fidelity,  and  honor.* 
The  hours  of  this  day  would  not  suffice,  for  me  to  re- 
hearse an  account  of  the  many  bloody  battles,  and  hair- 
breadth escapes,  to  the  recital  of  which  most  of  this  au- 
dience have  listened  when  a  Rice,  a  Rogers,  a  Potter,  a 
Nash,  or  a  Flagg,  would  make  himself  the  hero  of  bis 
story,  whilst  perchance,  he 

*'  Shoulder'd  his  crutch,  and  show'd  how  fields  "were  won." 

The  citizens  of  Holden  entered  into  a  solemn  covenant 
to  sustain  the  committee,  chosen  to  watch  for  the  public 
safety,  and  voted  that  such  persons  as  refused  to  unite 
with  them  should  have  their  names  published  in  the  Bos- 
ton Gazette,  as  enemies  of  their  country.  The  town, 
also,  u voted  that  every  blacksmith,  shoemaker,  miller  and 
housewright  do  not  directly  or  indirectly  do  or  cause  to 
be  done  any  sort  of  business,  in  their  respective  occupa- 
tions for  any  of  those  persons"  who  would  not  sign  the 
covenant,  which  was  to  ':be  lodged  at  John  Abbots',  one 
month,  for  the  inhabitants  of  Holden  to  sign."f  Tradi- 
tion reports  that  a  Mr.  Goulding,  living  in  the  south  part, 
was  so  offended  with  this  measure  of  the  town,  that  he 
immediately  commenced  building  the  grist  mill,  and  saw 
mill  now  owned  by  Mr.  Be-ianoU.  /■■**  H+»*-*Jt  jr- 

This  decided  movement  was  not  regarded  as  sufficient 
for  the  general  good.  To  prevent  monopoly  upon  such 
articles  as  were  considered  the  necessaries  of  life,  the 
Selectmen,  and  Committee  of  Safety  were  empowered, 
by  an  Act  of  the  Provincial  Congress  to  establish  ulti- 
mum  prices. 


*  Her  Memoirs.     tTown  Records,  vol.  2,  p.  15,  January  3,  1775. 
5 


50 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


Farming  labor  from  the  20th  Jane,  not  to  exceed  3  shillings  per  day. 


Wheat, 

6s 

Od 

per  bushel; 

Indian  Corn 

3s 

Od 

«(               «c 

Spanish  potatoes, 

Is 

Id 

••         "     in  the  fall; 

IC                           <*t 

t  i 

■%s 

6d 

**         "     in  the  spring; 

Beans, 

6s 

Od 

f  c             <  c 

Clean  flax  seed, 

6s 

Od 

«(            «( 

Turnips, 

Os 

8d 

per  bushel; 

Apples, 

0s 

8d 

II                   if 

Horse  keeping  over  ni 

ght, 

,  Is 

4d 

Oats, 

0s 

3d 

per  mess; 

Lodging, 

0s 

3d 

If 

per  night; 

Potluck, 

0s 

Sd 

per  meal; 

New  England  flip, 

Os 

9d 

per  mag; 

West  India  flip, 

0s 

lid 

<c     (< 

Good  grass-fed  beef, 

Os 

2d 

2f 

per  lb.; 

New  Milk, 

Os 

2d 

per  quart; 

Tobacco, 

Os 

7d 

per  lb.; 

A  glass  of  New  England 

rum 

2  coppers 

i  • 

Doctor's  travel,  6d  pi 

jr  mile— 

-out; 

Shop  joiner  to  have  3s 

i  pei 

;  piece  for  common  colored  chairs  with  bottoms; 

the  rest  of  their  work  in 

>.  the 

same  proportion."* 

Among  papers  belonging  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  AveTy,  I  have 
found  a  small  memorandum  book,  which  contains  some 
entries  of  peculiar  interest.  The  book  bears  date  1782. 
That  was  a  period  of  great  distress  among  the  people. 
The  war  had  been  long.  Money  was  scarce,  and  it  was 
with  some  difficulty  that  Mr.  Avery  received  his  annual 
salary.  His  parishioners,  however,  were  disposed  to 
share  with  their  pastor,  the  good  things  of  life.  "  Mem- 
orandum of  gifts  received."  "Of  Dea.  Hubbard,  a  piece 
of  beef ;  a  pail  of  soap  ;  a  loaf  of  bread  ;  a  few  candles  ; 
2  quarts  of  milk  ;  a  cheese  and  4  lbs.  of  butter."  "  Of 
Mr.  Abbott,  a  piece  of  beef  and  of  pork ;  also  a  spare- 
rib  ;  3  candles  ;  some  malt  and  a  piece  of  bread,  also 
two  wash  tubs  and  30  nails,   and  a  few  hops."       "  Of 


♦Town  Records,  vol.  2,  p.  40  &  41.  —The  above  list  might  be  enlarged. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  5f 

Lieut.  Hubbard,  a  piece  of  beef,  a  cheese  and  some 
malt."  "Of  Mr.  Ebrif  Estabrook,  a  leg  of  pork." 
u  Of  Dea.  Fiske,  a  piece  of  beef,  Jan'y  5th."  "  Of  Capt. 
Samuel  Hubbard,  a  leg  of  pork  and  a  spare-rib,  Jan'y 
6th."  "Of  Mr.  Howe,  a  piece  of  pork,  Jan;y  6th." 
"Of  Mr.  Cheney,  a  cheese  and  some  sausages."  "Of 
Mr.  Josiah  Cheney,  jr.,  some  beans."  "Of  Mr.  Jona. 
Rice,  a  leg  of  pork."  "Of  Mr.  Winch,  a  piece  of  fresh 
meat — lamb."  "  Of  Capt.  Davis,  a  cheese  and  some 
sauce."  "Of  Aaron  Wheeler,  a  broom,  soon  after  I 
came  to  my  house."  "'Of  Moses  Smith,  2  doz.  candles, 
some  butter."     "  Of  Mr.  Dryden,  1-2  doz.  pigeons." 

The  ladies  of  that  day  were  equally  thoughtful  in  re- 
gard to  the  wants  of  the  Parish  Priest.  "  Of  Mrs.  Benj. 
Flagg,  a  cheese."  "  Of  Mrs.  Fisk,  a  lb.  of  combed  flax." 
"Of  Mrs.  Elisha  Hubbard,  some  flax."  "Of  Mrs.  Pot- 
ter, some  butter  and  a  broom."'  "  Of  Mrs.  Newton,  a- 
piece  of  veal  and  a  calf's  head."  "  Of  Mrs.  Holt,  some 
cloth  for  a  shirt."  "  Of  Mrs.  Mead,  some  butter,  apples, 
potatoes."     "Of  Mrs.  Heard,  a  loin  of  veal." 

The  most  abundant  evidence  might  be  adduced,  to 
show,  that  the  people  of  Holden  unitedly,  cordially,  and 
manfully  engaged  with  their  fellow  countrymen  in  the 
war  of  the  revolution.  The  trials,  hardships,  and  dan- 
gers of  eight  summer  and  eight  winter  campaigns  had 
not  quenched  the  ardent  love  of  liberty  in  the  bosoms  of 
colonists,  who  could  say,  "We  are  two  millions,  one 
fifth  fighting  men.  We  are  bold  and  vigorous,  and  we 
call  no  man  master."*  It  is  not  a  point  of  uncertain 
conjecture,  but  of  sober  history,  that  the  principles  of 
liberty  set  forth  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence  had 
previously  been  a  subject  of  discussion  in  almost  every 
village  throughout  the  thirteen  colonies.     A  rough  block. 

*  James  Otis. 


52  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

of  granite  may  be  squared  and  polished,  but  that  block 
was  granite  before  the  stone-hewer's  tool  and  the  burn- 
isher's instrument  prepared  its  surface.  The  14  resolu- 
tions passed  by  the  citizens  of  Holden,  and  similar  passed 
by  other  towns,  contained  the  elements  afterwards  com- 
bined in  that  memorable  document  of  State,  in  which 
the  people  of  this  land  declared  themselves — Indepen- 
dent, Free,  and  Equal.  Taking  the  proceedings  and  re- 
solves  of  the  inhabitant^ as  evidence  of  the  actual  state 
of  things  among  the  colonists,  no  candid  man  can  rise 
from  their  perusal,  without  the  impression  upon  his  mind 
that  each  village  must  have  had  its  Jefferson,  Adams, 
Sherman,  Franklin,  and  Henry. 

The  immediate  and  lasting  effects  of  the  revolutionary 
war,  upon  the  interests  of  this  town,  deserve  a  few  pass- 
ing remarks.  The  unwise  policy  of  England  was  first 
felt  along  our  sea-coast.  (1.)  Numerous  families,  hith- 
erto  obtaining  their  livelihood  from  the  seas,  were  driven 
to  other  pursuits.  For  this  cause,  not  less  than  10  fami- 
lies removed  from  Harwich  and  vicinity  (upon  the  Cape") 
to  Holden.  Such  were  the  Rogers  settling  two  miles 
"south.  (2.)  All  lands  belonging  to  persons  supporting 
the  cause  of  the  mother  country,  were  confiscated.  Many 
hundreds  of  acres  within  this  township,  were  thus  trans- 
ferred to.  the  State.  The  history  of  one  tract,  contain- 
ing  about  600;  a.,  deserves  notice.  This  tract  of  wood- 
land belonged  to  William  Brattle,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 
Older  an  Act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  1781,  it  was 
sold  to  pay  State  debts.  Monsieur  Pierre  Matthieu  An- 
dre, captain  of  the  ship  Jonathan,  belonging  to  Jean 
Francis  Billou  of  Marseilles,  in  the  south  of  France, 
purchased  this  tract  of  land,  for  £1,124,  or  about  $6  per 
acre.  The  ship  Jonathan  having  been  condemned,  as 
unsea worthy,  was  sold,  and  a  part  of  the  avails  was  in- 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  53 

vested  in  the  purchase  of  this  land.  For  many  years,  it 
was  under  the  care  of  Ebenezer  Estabrook.  senior, 
and  subsequently  under  the  care  of  his  son.  Sufficient 
wood,  was,  from  time  to  time,  cut  off  to  pay  the  taxes. 
After  much  negotiation,  it  was  sold  in  the  year  1826,  for 
about  $11  per  acre.  The  proceeds  were  transmitted  to 
the  heirs  of  the  original  owner  in  France;  a  sufficient 
amount  having  been  deducted  to  defray  expenses  attend- 
ing the  sale.  The  origin  of  the  name — French  land,  will 
have  been  apparent. *' 

(3.)  The  war  of  the  revolution  had  scarcely  been- 
brought  to  a  happy  termination,  before  internal  disorders 
threatened  the  overthrow  of  the  general  government. 
The  insurrection,  known  in  history  as  the  Shays'  Re- 
bellion, stands  prominent  upon  the  annals  of  our  coun- 
try. The  spirit  of  disaffection  very  sensibly  disturbed 
the  order  and  decorum,  which  almost  uniformly  has  char- 
acterized our  town.  I  would  now  refrain  from  an  allu- 
sion to  this  subject,  if  our  town  records,  and  the  voice  of 
tradition  were  silent.  Historical  truth,  however,  often 
duly  checks  and  properly  tempers  the  glow  of  admira- 
tion, which  we  sometimes  feel  when  contemplating  the 
patriotic  exertions  of  our  fathers.  The  financial  inter- 
ests of  our  country  were  most  deolorable,  immediately 
subsequent  to  the  war.  Money  was  scarce.  The  cur- 
rency was  in  disorder.  Public  and  private  debts  were 
great,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  country  the  load  was 
well-nigh  insupportable. f     To  remedy  a  state  of  things 


*  A  manuscript  volume  belonging  to  William  Lincoln,  Esq. 

t  "  After  eight  years  of  war,  Massachusetts  stood,  with  the  splendor  of 
triumph,  in  republican  poverty,  bankrupt  in  resources,  with  no  revenue  but 
an  expiring  currency,  and  no  metal  in  her  treasury  more  than  the  conti- 
nental copper,  bearing  the  devices  of  union  and  freedom.  *  *  *  *  At 
length  a  flood  of  suits  broke  out.  In  1784  more  than  2000  were  entered 
in  the  county  of  Worcester,  then  having  a  population  less  than  50,000,  and  , 
■a  17S5,  about  1700." — See  Lincoln's  History  of  Worcester,  eliap.  8. 

4* 


5  I  HISTORY    OF    HOLDER. 

so  undesirable,  some  of  our  citizens*  resorted  to  the  most 
unjustifiable  measures.  Their  wrath  broke  forth  upon 
the  Courts  of  Justice.  Capt.  Wheeler  of  Hubbardston, 
the  first  week  of  Sept.,  1786,  heading  a  band  of  armed 
men  took  possession  of  the  Court  House  in  Worcester. 
The  standard  of  revolt,  being  raised,  drew  some  of  our 
townsmen  from  the  duties  of  quiet  and  peaceable  citizens. 
The  court  adjourned  until  December  following.  The  in- 
surgents flushed  with  their  partial  success,  returned 
home,  to  foment  greater  commotions.  Other  portions  of 
Hie  State  caught  the  spirit  of  discontent.  As  the  time 
approached  for  the  session  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  in  December,  the  insurgents  (or  Regulators  as  they 
styled  themselves)  headed  by  Daniel  Shays,  were  gath- 
ering their  forces  in  the  vicinity  of  Worcester.  The  Court, 
in  the  mean  time,  opened  at  the  Sun  Tavern,  (U.  S.  Ho- 
tel) and  adjourned  until  January  23,  without  transacting 
farther  business.  December  6th,  Shays  entered  Worces- 
ter mounted  upon  a  white  horse.  About  800  troops  form- 
ed his  army.  To  compose  this  force  numerous  soldiers 
wen  t  from  Holden.  These  incidents  took  place  on  Thurs- 
day. The  next  day  was  spent  in  consultation.  A  terri- 
ble storm  of  snow  occurred  Saturday.  Gloom  and  des- 
pondency pervaded  the  bosoms  of  Shays'  soldiers.  Such 
us  went  from  Holden,  returned  through  the  drifting  snow 
to  spend  the  Sabbath  with  their  families.  Shays  conduc- 
ted the  remnant  of  his  forces  to  Springfield,  to  interrupt 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  about  to  commence  its  ses- 
sion at  that  place. * 

The  Governor  of  Massachusetts  called  upon  the  Mili- 
tia of  Boston  and  vicinity,  to  march  under  the  command 
of  Gen.  Lincoln,  and  to  force  the  insurgents  to  surrender. 
Success  crowned  the  efforts  of  the  constituted  authorities. 


*See  Nole  \l. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  55 

Peace  was  again  restored  to  the  country.  I  have  freely 
spoken  of  the  part  taken  by  some  of  the  citizens  of  Hol- 
den,  because  I  became  acquainted  with  many  of  the  par- 
ticulars from-  the  14ps  of  a  Regulator;  In  perfect  good 
humor,  he  gave  me  a  list  of  such  Regulators;  as  went  from 
Holden,  not  forgetting  to  enrol  himself. 

Resolutions,  disapproving  the  measures  deemed'  jus- 
tifiable by  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Holden,  were  pas- 
sed by  a  highly  respectable  body  of  men  in  town.  Their 
names  I  feel-  myself  honored  to  read.*  The  document, 
to  which  they  were  appended,  is  supposed  to  have  been 
drafted  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Avery.  These  gentlemen  caus- 
ed their  protest,  with-  some  accompanying  documents  to 
be  published'  in  the  Worcester  Magazine,  for  the  third 
week  of  January,  1787. f- 

If  this  was  a  proper  occasion,  many  palliating  consid- 
erations might  be  suggested,  which  would  go  far  to  re- 
move the  charge  of  treason  from  persons  attempting,  by 
military  force,  to  arrest  the  legal  Court  sessions  at  Wor- 
cester and  other  places. 

The  first  meeting-house,  exhibiting  signs  of  decay,  the 
question  was  discussed  in  Town  Meeting,  December  10; 
1787,  "  Shall  the  old  meeting-house  be  repaired,  or  a  new 
house  built  ?"J  It  was  the  opinion  of  the  town  to 
build  a  new  house-.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  draft 
a  plan  and  estimate  the  probable  cost.  The  house  was 
erected  during  the  year  1789. §     Many  of  this  audience 


*  They  were  read  at  the  time.     +  See  Note  I.     t  Town   Records,  vol.  2. 

§  A  vote  of  the  Town,  May  10,  1790  : 

"  Voted — That  the  committee  chosen  to  provide  rum  and  sugar,  to  treat 
spectators  at  the  raising  of  the  meeting-house  be  appointed  to  settle  with 
Capt.  Davis  for  the  money  he  laid  out  forsd  rum  and  sugar  and  to  take  part 
of  the  above  said  fourteen  pounds  of  fine-money  to  settle  it  with." 

After  the  House  was  completed,  and  the  people  had  become  located  in  their 
respective  pews,  it  was  provided,  that  "the  wives  sit  in  the  seats  opposite  to, 
and  equal  in  rank  with,  their  husbands."  Also — that  the  audience  should 
aot  leave  their  seats,  until  the  Pastor  and  Deacons  hud  pasted  out. 


56  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

remember  to  have  worshipped  in  that  house,  which  was 
rebuilt  during  the  years  1827  and  8.  An  acre  of  land, 
in  nearly  the  centre  of  which,  this  house  stands,  was 
given  to  the  town  of  Holden  for  a  public  common,  and 
the  accommodation  of  a  public  meeting  house,  1789,  by 
the  Hon.  John  Hancock.^ 

No  sooner  were  the  citizens  of  Holden  permitted  to 
worship  iii  their  new  house,  than  a  vigorous  effort  was 
made  to  erect  good  and  convenient  school  houses  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  town.  In  the  year  1793,  the  sum  of 
£400  was  raised  for  this  purpose. f  It  is  most  interesting 
to  trace  in  the  history  of  Holden,  or  any  other  communi- 
ty, the  progress  of  the  gospel  and  the  public  instruction 
of  the  young.  When  one  is  neglected  the  other  languishes. 
They  appear  mutually  to  affect  each  other. 

An  unpleasant  controversy  relating  to  church  music, 
disturbed  the  peace  of  society  in  town,  near  the  close  of 
the  18th  century.  Some  of  the  regular  attendants  upon 
public  worship,  refused  to  occupy  their  seats  in  the  meet- 
ing-house, unless  the  psalms  and  hymns  could  be  sung 
without  the  aid  of  the  unconsecrated  viol  and  the  unhal- 
lowed pitch-pipe.  The  venerable  pastor  exerted  most 
strenuously  his  peace-making  talents.  An  uncommon 
share  he  was  acknowledged  to  possess.  A  reconciliation 
between  the  parties  was  effected  by  the  counsel  and  ad- 
vice of  so  wise  a  mediator.!  After  a  few  weeks  had  e- 
lapsed,  it  was  discovered  to  be  more  than  a  poetical  truth, 
that 

"  Music  had  charms  to  soothe  the  savage  breast." 

We  are  approaching  the  limit,  where  I  proposed  to 


*  For  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  five  shillings,  and  of  the  loves 
good  will  and  affection  which  I  have  and  do  bear  to  the  town  of  Holden, 
and  from  a  respect  to  the  public  worship  of  God,  do  hereby  give,  grant,  and 
convey  to  the  said  town  of  Holden  —  one  acre  of  land."  The  Hon.  Mr* 
Hancock's  deed  to  the  town  of  Holden. 

\  Town  Records,  vol.  2.     X  Church  Records. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEX.  57 

close  a  connected  narrative  of  the  history  of  Holden. 
The  last  event  in  the  18th  century  deserving  notice  on 
the  present  occasion,  is  the  just  trilmte  of  respect  paid 
throughout  the  country  to  the  lamented  Washington. 
He  died  at  Mount  A'ernon.  December  14.  1799.  Congress 
recommended  and  set  apart  Feb.  22.  1S00*  as  the  dav 
when  the  nation  unitedly  might  render  becoming  public 
testimonials  of  their  sorrow  and  grief  for  the  illustrious 
DEAD. 

The  citizens  of  Holden  observed  the  day  by  engaging 
in  appropriate  exercises.  The  military  parade  was  con- 
ducted by  Cap*.  George  Webb.  A  long  procession  pas- 
sed between  files  of  soldiers,  whose  inclining  heads  res- 
ted upon  their  "aims  reversed."  An  eulogy  was  pro- 
nounced by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Avery.  The  singing  is  repor- 
ted to  have  been  excellent  and  was  conducted  by  Mr. 
Joseph  Estabrook.  The  following  lines,  set  to  appropri- 
ate music,  were  sung: — 

"  From  Vernon's  Mount,  behold  the  Hero  rise-, 
Resplendent  forms  attend  him  through  the  skies  ; 
The  shades  of  War-worn  Vet'rans  round  him  throngs 
And  lead  cnrapt  their  honored  Chief  along. 

*'  A  Uurel  wreath  th'  immortal  Warren  bears  ; 
An  arch  triumphal  Mercer's  hand  prepares  ; 
Young  Lawrence  'erst  th'  avenging  bolt  of  war 
With  port  majestic  guides  the  glittering  car  j 

"  Montgomery's  God-liI<e  form  directs  the  way,. 
And  Greene  unfolds  the  gates  of  endless  day,. 
While  angels  trumpettongn'd  proclaim  through  air, 
Due  honors  for  the  first  of  men,  prepare."' 

If  time  could  be  spared  in  consistency  with  the  other 
exercises  of  this  anniversary.  1  would  proceed  to  narrate 
historical  events  which  have  occurred  during  the  past 
forty  years.     A  history  of  the  Baptist  church:  a  contin- 

*  Wughington's  birth  day. 


58  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

nation  of  the  history  of  the  Congregational  church ;  an 
account  of  our  public  and  private  schools  ;  a  history  of 
voluntary  and  benevolent  societies  ;  municipal  affairs  : 
military  movements  ;  masonry  ;  history  of  the  Post  Office 
department;  Justices  of  the  peace  ;  Physicians;  College 
graduates ;  missionaries  ;  and  numerous  other  topics 
would  demand  our  attention.^ 

Some  have  died  among  this  people,  whose  memories 
deserve  a  grateful  recollection.  I  must  ask  of  this  audi- 
ence the  indulgence  of  a  few  moments  while  I  speak  of 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Avery.  A  century  has  passed  since  this 
town  was  organized,  and  during  one  half  this  period  this 
Reverend  gentleman  sustained  the  office  of  Pastor  to  this 
people.  He-  was  a  son  of  Dea.  William  Avery,  South- 
parish,  Dedham,  and  was  born  October  14,  1751.  Be- 
fore the  close  of  his  16th  year,  he  entered  Cambridge 
University.  During  the  third  year  of  his  collegiate 
course,  his  mind  was  uncommonly  impressed  with  the 
subject  of  personal  religion.  His  convictions  for  sin 
were  deep  and  pungent,  so  that  for  a  season  he  ceased  to 
pursue  the  ordinary  studies  of  his  class.  During  the 
four  years  of  college  life,  he  ever  maintained  the  charac- 
ter of  a  diligent  scholar  and  upright  young  man.  He 
has  been  heard  to  remark,  that  at  one  period,  he  was  the 
only  undergraduate  at  the  University  not  addicted  to  the 
use  of  tobacco  in  some  form.  He  graduated  a  member  of 
the  class  of  1771,  and  had  a  highly  respectable  appoint- 
ment assigned  to  him  for  the  commencement  exercises. 
With  some  of  his  college  acquaintance,  he  held  a  friendly 
correspondence  long  after  leaving  the  hallowed  retreats  of 
Cambridge.  Dr.  Tappan,  Hollis  Professor  at  the  Uni- 
versity, was  an  intimate  friend  and  correspondent.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Avery's  settlement  in  Holden  took  place  Dec, 

*  See  Appendix 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  59 

1774.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Haven  of  Dedham,  preached 
the  ordination  sermon,  which  was  published.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1777,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Allen  of  Worcester,  a 
neice  of  Samuel  Adams.  The  intercourse  of  Mr.  Avery 
with  his  family  was  uniformly  characterized  by  kind- 
ness and  affection.  The  temporal  and  spiritual  welfare 
of  his  children  was  a  subject  of  great  solicitude.  Fami- 
ly devotions  were  constant  morning  and  evening,  never 
being  omitted  on  any  other  occasion  than  sickness.  Sat- 
urdays were  uniformly  spent  in  making  preparation  for 
the  Sabbath,  and  not  unfrequently  other  days  of  the 
week.  His  sermons  were  usually  written.  He  number- 
ed his  sermons  until  1816,  when  the  number  amounted 
to  2180 ;  but  continued  to  write  until  near  the  close  of 
his  ministry.  The  latest  date,  is  in  the  year  1822.  The 
number  of  sermons  written  during  his  entire  ministry 
would  probably  exceed  2300.  It  is  not  known  that  any 
of  his  sermons  were  published.  He  wrote  frequently 
for  the  press.  The  marginal  notes  and  references  of 
Isaiah  Thomas's  Quarto  Bible  were  examined  and  com- 
pared by  him.  Mr.  Avery's  style  of  writing  was  pure  and 
chaste,  and  his  doctrinal  views  evangelical  and  Calvinis- 
tic  upon  most  theological  points.  Dr.  Thomas  Scott  was 
his  favorite  commentator.  During  the  unusually  long 
period  of  his  public  ministry  in  Holden,  he  ever  exhibit- 
ed the  conduct  of  a  peace-making  minister  of  Christ. 
He  was  styled  a  Peace-maker.  Enviable  title  !  Proud 
distinction  !  He  was  never  heard  to  complain  of  his  ar- 
duous labors  as  a  pastor.  When  some  of  his  parishion- 
ers desired  him  to  relinquish  his  pastoral  charge,  the 
tears  were  seen  to  course  his  cheeks  furrowed  by  age. 
He  loved  the  people  of  his  charge,  and  his  love  was 
abiding  until  the  close  of  his  life. 

"  Nor  e'er  had  chang'd,  nor  wish'd  to  change  bis  place." 


60  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

He  was  seen  in  the  pulpit  until  within  two  weeks  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  March  5,  1824* 

The   honored   and   beloved  consort  of  the  venerable 
parson  still  lives,  being  now  in  the  87th  year  of  her  age.f 

Having  spoken  thus  of  a  man,  who  lived  and  labored 
so  long  and  faithfully  among  this  people  as  a  •spiritual 
guide,  I  will  make  a  few  remarks  upon  the  life  and  char- 
acter of  another  individual  whose  labors  as  a  physician 
were  uncommonly  useful  to  the  people  of  this  and  the 
neighboring  towns,  throughout  a  period  of  more  than 
half  a  century.  Doct.  Isaac  Chenery  was  born  at  Med- 
field,  1742 ;  six  weeks  after  the  death  of  his  father. 
Early  in  life,  he  entered  the  service  of  his  country,  as  a 
soldier  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  spent  one 
campaign  to  the  northward  upon  the  lakes.  He  receiv- 
ed a  serious  injury  upon  his  ancle  soon  after  his  return 
home.  He  was  under  the  care  of  a  surgeon,  for  nearly 
four  years ;  during  which  period,  he  commenced  the 
study  of  physic  and  surgery,  without  having  previously 
enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a  good  education.  Blessed 
naturally  with  a  vigorous  constitution  and  a  strong  mind, 
after  a  few  months  study,  he  ventured  to  offer  himself  as 
a  practitioner.  In  1768  he  settled  in  Holden,  and  by  a 
faithful,  tender  and  successful  care  of  his  patients,  soon 
became  extensively  known  as  a  physician  and  surgeon. 
During  the  revolutionary  war,  he  spent  one  year  as  a 
surgeon  in  the  army.  His  charges  as  a  physician  were 
uniform  and  moderate.  In  the  social,  relative  and  pub- 
lic duties  of  life,  he  was  beloved  and  respected.  His 
death  occurred  Oct.  20,  1822.  He  had  nearly  completed 
his  80th  year.  When  death  closed  his  long  and  labori- 
ous life,  many  tears  of  sorrow  were  shed  over  an  affec- 


♦Manuscript  papers,  now  in  the  possession  of  Esq.  White's  family,  Boyl- 
Bton.     t  With  her  daughter,  Mrs.  White,  Boylston. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  61 

tionate  Father  and  Friend,  by  a  numerous  offspring  and 
acquaintance.^ 

The  length  of  time  spent  in  presenting  such  facts,  as 
I  have  been  able  to  gather,  relating  to  the  history  of 
Holden,  will  prevent  me  from  indulging  in  remarks  nat- 
urally suggested  by  the  exercises  of  this  day. 

The  citizens  of  Holden  have  received  abundant  bles- 
sings, which  impressively  call  upon  them  on  this  occa- 
sion to  be  devoutly  thankful  to  God.  Honest,  intelli- 
gent, industrious,  and  religious  ancestors  are  among  the 
richest  of  a«^-  blessings  to  any  people.  Citizens  of  Hol- 
den :  God  has  bestowed  upon  you  that  inestimable 
blessing.  The  wise  man  hath  well  observed,  "The 
glory  of  children  are  their  Fathers."  I  have  found  to  be 
beautifully  expressed  by  another,!  my  concluding  re- 
marks,— " Look  not  mournfully  upon  the  past;  it  comes 
not  back  again.  Wisely  improve  the  present ;  it  is  thine. 
Go  forth  to  meet  the  shadowy  future,  without  fear,  and 
with  manly  heart." 

*  Massachusetts  Spy  Obituary  notice,    f  Professor  Longfellow  *s  Hyperion. 

6 


NOTES. 


{Note  A. — See  page  22.] 

first  indian  dked. 

July  13,  1674. 

Bee  it  known  to  all  men  by  this  present  writing,  that 
Wee,  John,  alias  Horrawannonit,  or  Quiquonassett,  Sa- 
gamore of  Pakachoge,  and  Solomon,  alias  Woonaskochu, 
Sagamore  of  Tataessit,  together  with  the  consent  of  our 
kindred  and  people,  and  for  and  in  consideration  of  twelve 
pounds  of  lawful  money  of  New  England,  or  the  full 
value  thereof,  in  other  specie,  to  our  content,  within  three 
months  after  the  date  hereof,  well  and  truly  to  be  paid, 
and  satisfied,  and  pt.  whereof,  viz.  two  coats  and  four 
yards  of  trading  cloth,  valewed  at  twenty  six  shill.  wee 
do  acknowledge  to  have  received  in  hand,  as  earnest,  of 
Daniel  Gookin  senr.  of  Cambr.  Esqr.  and  of  Daniel 
Hinchman,  of  Boston,  Brewer,  in  behalf  of  themselves 
and  Capt.  Thomas  Prentice,  and  Lt.  Richard  Beers,  and 
the  rest  of  the  Genii.  Court's  Comittee,  appointed  for  the 
management  of  a  new  plantation  granted  by  the  said 
Court,  conteyning  eight  miles  square,  or  the  contents 
thereof,  being  to  the  westward  of  Marlborough,  near 
Q,uansiquamond  Ponds,  and  on  each  side  of  the  Road- 
way leading  towards  Connecticott ;  Now  know  yee,  yt 
wee,  ye  sd.  Jno.  and  Solomon,  Sagamores  aforesaid,  and 
upon  the  terms  aforesaid,  have  bargained,  sold,  aliened, 
enfeeoffed,  and  confirmed,  unto  ye  sd  Daniel  Gookin, 
Thomas  Prentice,  Daniel  Hinchman,  Richard  Beers,  and 
ye  rest  of  the  people  admitted,  or  to  be  admitted,  by  ye 
sd  comittee  to  be  inhabitants  of  yt  new  plantation,  and 


64  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

to  their  heirs,  executors,  admrs,  and  assigns  for  ever,  in 
fee  simple,  all  and  every  pt  of  our  civill  or  naturall  right, 
in  all  and  singular  the  broken  up  land  and  woodlands, 
woods,  trees,  rivers,  brooks,  ponds,  swamps,  meadows, 
mineralls,  or  any  other  thing,  or  things  whatsoever,  lying 
and  being  within  that  tract  of  land,  conteyning  eight 
miles  square  or  the  contents  thereof,  to  be  layd  out  by 
ye  sd  persons  or  their  order  in  time  convenient.  To  have 
and  to  hold  the  premises,  and  every  pt  thereof,  unto  them 
the  sd  Daniel  Gookin,  Thomas  Prentice,  Daniel  Hinch- 
man,  and  Richard  Beers,  and  all  ye  rest  of  ye  sd  Inhab- 
itants admitted  or  to  be  admitted  planters  there,  and  un- 
to ym  and  yr  heirs  forever,  freely  and  absolutely,  with- 
out any  lett,  molestation,  or  disturbance,  of  us,  or  any 
of  our  kindred  or  people,  or  any  claiming  by,  from,  or 
under  us,  for  evermore,  as  our  heyrs  or  assigns  ;  and  wee 
do  promise,  upon  the  finishing  ye  payment  to  make  full 
and  ample  deeds  and  writings  for  the  same,  according  to 
law.  In  witness  of  the  truth  hereof,  wee  ye  sd  John  and 
Solomon,  alias  Horrowanonittand  Wooannaskochu,  have 
hereunto  set  our  hands  and  seals,  this  thirteenth  day  of 

July,  1674. 

Solomon,  alias  Woonnasakochu, 
Signed,  Sealed,  and  )  seal  and  mark, 

delivered  in  the        >  John,  alias  Hoorrawanwit, 
presence  of  us,         )  mark  and  seal. 

Onnamog,  his  mark,  Sagamore  of  Occonomesett. 

Namphow,  his  mark,  sagamore  of  "Wamesett. 

Joseph  Thatcher,  of  Chabanakonchoie,  his  mark. 

Nosannowitt,  his  mark.  Noah  Wiswall,  present. 

Full  payment  rec'd  August  20,  1676.      D.  Gookin. 

This  Deed  acknowledged  by  the  Sagamores,  before 
Daniel  Gookin,  Sen.  Assist.     July  13. 

Entered,  9.  2.  83  by  Thomas  Danforth,  R* 


history  of  holder-  65. 

second  indian  deed. 

February  12,  1677. 

Bee  it  known  to- all  men  by  these  presents,  yt  we,  An- 
thony, alias  Wunaweshawakum,  and  Abagail  his  wife, 
only  Daughter  and  Heyr  of  Pannasunet,  late  of  Quan- 
sicamund,  deceased;  also  Nannuswane,  widdow  and  rel- 
ict of  the  said  Pannasuned ;    also  Sasomett,  and  Quas- 
sawake  his  wife,  sister  to  the  said  Pannasuniit,  for  and 
in  consideration  of  full  satisfaction  in  trucking  cloth  and 
corn,  paid  to  and  received  by  us,  from  Daniel  Gookin, 
Esq.  Capt.  Thos.  Prentice  of  Cambr,  and  Capt.  Daniel 
Henchman  of  Boston,  pd  unto  us  and  each  of  us,  have 
bargained   and  sold,  aliened,  enfeoffed,  and  confirmed, 
and  by  these  presents  do  bargaine,  s-ellj  alien,  enfeoffe, 
and  confirm,  unto  the  said  Daniel  Gookin,  Thomas  Pren- 
tice, Daniel  Henchman,  for  ye  use  of  themselves,  and  all 
other  their  partners  and  associates  yt  are  and  shall  be  ad- 
mitted Inhabitants  and  planters,  upon  atownship  granted 
unto  ye  sd  Daniel  Gookin,  Tho.  Prentice,  Daniel  Hinch- 
man,  by  a  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  at  a  place 
between  Marlborough  and  Brookfield,  called  by  the  In- 
dian Name  duansicamond  Ponds,  conteining  ye  contents 
of  eight  miles  square,  with  all  the  lands,  woods,  meadows, 
watercourses,  mineral! s,  or  any  other  matter  or  thing, 
within  the  said  tract  which  in  naturall  right  belonged  to 
us,  or  any  of  us,  and  posses'd  of,  by  the  said  Pannasu- 
net, Sagamore,  or  his  heirs  or  kindred  wtsoever  :  To  Have 
and  To  Hold  all  the  lands,  both  woodland  and  brokenup 
lands,  and  all  ye  appurtenances,  as  aforesaid,  to  ym  the 
said  Daniel  Gookin,  Thomas  Prentice,  Daniel  Henchman 
their  heirs  and  associates,  yt  shall  and  may  duely  and  le- 
gally possess  and  sett  down  upon  their  lands  and  planta- 
tion, and  to  their  heirs,  executors,  administrators,  or  as- 
signs, for  evermore,  and  the  said  Anthony,  alias  Wan-. 
6* 


66'  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

noshanuhannitt,  and  Abigail  his  wife,  daughter  and  only- 
heir  to  Panasunet,  and  her  mother  Nannaswane,  and  Sa- 
suet  and  his  wife,  Sister  of  Panasunet,  being  all  Indians, 
and  Natives,  and  Inhabitants,  they  and  their  ancestors, 
of  that  place  and  tract  of  land  at  Quansicamond  Ponds, 
have  good  and  just  naturall  right  and  interest  in  the  said 
land,  and  do  freely  and  absolutely  sell  and  alien  all  the 
premises  aforesaid,  unto  the  said  persons  and  their  heirs 
forever,  warranting  ye  lawful  sale  herein  made,  for  us 
our  heirs,  executors  and  administrators,  or  from  or  by 
any  person  wtsoever.  In  witness  whereof,  we  have  here- 
unto set  our  hands  and  seals,  this  sixth  day  of  the  12th 
Mo.  1677. 

Signed,  Sealed  and 

delivered  in  presence 

of  us, 

John  Elliott.  Sasomet,    Signed  and  Sealed. 

Nathaniel  Goo-kin.        f      Quasonoit, Signed  and  Sealed. 

Waban,  his  mark. 

James  Speen. 

Simon  Betoghom. 

This  deed  acknowledged  by  all  ye  subscribers,   and 

sealed  this  6.  of  Febr.  1677,  before  me, 

Daniel  Gookin,  Senr.  Assist. 

Entered,  9.  2.  83.  by  Tho.  Danforth  R. 


Anthony,  Signed  and  Sealed. 
Abagail,  Signed  and  Sealed. 
Nanswan,  Signed  and  Sealed. 


[See  page  — .] 
u  Here  follows  an  account  of  the  Lotts  Drawn  for 
pitches  in  the  North  half  part  of  Worcester,  as  they  were 
taken  out  the  Hatt  by  the  Moderator  according  to  vote 
as  aforesd  to  each  proprietor  is  as  follows — viz : — 

Collel  Adam  Winthrop  1  Joshua  Rice  31 

Will  Hutchinson  )  .  Capt.  Prentice  16 

upon  Ward           )  Thomas  Leonard  61 

Gates,  upon  MiJler  65  Jonathn.  Marble  8 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


67 


Gershom  Rice  Jun. 

Newton  &  Britton 

up  Jona.  Moore 

Ephraim  Rice 

Josiah  Rice 

Daniel  Heywood 

Isaac  Wheeler 

Jn.  Hubbard  upon  Stark 

Jna.  Waldo  upon  Crosby 

John  Gray 

Jn.  Hinchman  &  Co 


cc 


Coll.  Smith 

Butler's  Right 

Thos.  Bynny 

John  Gownding  &  Co 

Benja.  Flagg 

Gershom  Rice 

Benja.  Flagg  Jun. 

Joshua  Rice 

Jona.  Waldo 

upon  Mr.  Allen 

The  heirs  of  Thos.  Goulding 

Aha.  Harding 

upon  Danson 

Jonathn.  Bigelo 

upon  Danson 

Col.  Fitch 

upon  Danson 

Jn.  Dowell 

upon  Danson 

Capt.  Haynes 

Jame3  Taylor 

Thomas  Rice 

Jonas  Rice 

Aaron  Adams 
James  Holmes 
Daiill  Bigelo 


} 
} 

} 


72 
30 

71 

19 
9 
7 
35 
66 
64 
11 
57 
14 
51 
67 
53 
21 
36 
46 
25 
73 

33 

3 

13 

37 
20 

42 

70 
59 
32 
12 
33 
17 
27 
43 


Wm.  Hutchinson  ) 
upon  Jonas  Rice  ) 
Jn.  Haggit 

DO 

Elisha  Rice 
Hapgood  upon  Miller 
John  Smith 


Deacon  Rice  } 

upon  Gershom  Rice    S 

The  Heirs  of  Danll  Childs 

upon  Jas.  Rice 

Henry  Lee 

upon  James  Rice 

Capt.  Jones 
<< 

Rev.  Jn.  Gardner 

Ministerial 

School 

Dickney  Sergeant's 

Heirs 

Ward 
tt 

CC 

<c 

Coll  Hatch  upon  Lee 

Moses  Leonard 

James  Holding 

Hen.  Lee  upon  Hubbard 

Thos.  Palmer  Esq. 

John  Outon  and 

Cornelius  Waldo 
t( 

a 

<( 
<c 

<c 

CC 

Jn.  William  Paine 


29 

5S 
26 
63 
49 
15 
62 

56 
18 

68 

4 
39 

2 
23 

4 

23 

41 
44 
55 
50 
69 
22 
6 
52 

60 

10 

28 
47 
45 
24 
54 
48 


Gershom  Rice,  Moderator." 


[Note  B.— See  page  30.] 

At  a  General  Town  meeting  held  at  Worcester  on 
March  3d,  1739-40. 

At  said  meeting  voted  that  the  Northerly  part  of  ye 
Town  Comonly  called  North  Worcester  agreeable  to  the 


68  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

pertition  line  formerly  Run  be  set  off  a  distinct  &  seprate 
Township  if  it  be  the  pleasur  of  the  grate  and  General 
Court  in  Consideration  of  their  grate  distance  from  ye 
place  of  publick  worship. 

Attest  John  Chandler  modrater 
A  True  Coppy  as  Entered  &  Examined 

pr.  Jones  Rice  T  Cler 

Worcester,  May  ye  13th.  A.  D.  1740. 

These  may  sarty,  to  yr  Honurable  General  Court  that 
we  ye  subscribers  hearof.  Inhabitants  of  ye  North  part 
of  Worcester  have  met  togather  choosen  and  appointed 
Mr.  John  Beglo  for  us  and  in  our  behalf  to  caray  a  Peti- 
tion to  ye  Honurable  Grate  and  General  Court  at  their 
Sessions  in  May  Instant  praying  that  we  may  be  set  off 
a  distinct  and  seperate  Township  according  to  ye  vote 
which  we  have  already  obtained  in  ye  Town  of  Wor- 
cester. 

Simon  Davis  William  Clark 

James  Smith  Joseph  Woolley 

Timothy  Brown  Jotham  Biglo 

Abraham  Walton  John  Child 

Samuel  Davis  William  Caudon. 

James  Cowdin  David  Cowdin 

Jonathan  LovelJ  benjamin  biglo 

Thomas  Broad  Thomas  Mukemullan 

John  McConkey  Samuel  Hubbard 

Cyprian  Stevens  David  Brown 

Samuell  Clark  Joseph  Hubbard 

James  CaldwalL  Samuel  Heywood 

James  Gray 

To  his  Excellency  Jonathan  Belcher  Esqr.  Captain 
General  &  Governor  in  chief  in  and  over  His  Majesties 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDER.  69 

Province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New  England. 
To  the  Honourable  His  Majesty's  Council  &  the  Honour- 
able House  of  Representative,  Novr.  21,  1740.  The  Me- 
morial of  John  Bigelo  &  Cyprian  Stevens  for  themselves 
and  in  behalf  of  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  North  half 
of  the  Town  of  Worcester  humbly  sheweth.  That  the 
Town  of  Worcester  at  their  meeting  in  March  last  hav- 
ing by  a  vote  then  passed,  signified  their  free  consent,  to 
dismiss  the  Inhabitants  of  the  North  part  of  sd  Town  in 
order  to  their  being  erected  into  a  Distinct  Township  if 
this  Honourable  Court  should  think  fit,  and  your  memo- 
rialists made  application  accordingly  at  the-Sessions  in 
May  last,  and  their  Petition  was  not  at  that  time  Grant- 
ted  by  the  whole  Court,  but  only  by  a  part.  Our  Cir- 
cumstances as  we  humbly  apprehend  being  not  fully 
known.  We  therefore  beg  leave  to  Inform  this  Honour- 
able Court,  That  since  that  time,  Several  persons  have 
been  added  to  our  Number  &  divers  others  would  have 
purchased  land  &  settled  with  us,  in  case  our  petition 
had  been  then  granted.  Now  in  as  much  as  our  increase 
&  flourishing  have  been  much  retarded  for  want  thereof, 
and  would  be  much  promoted  by  our  being  made  a  Town, 
and  the  settlement  of  a  Minister  with  us,  in  the  meeting 
house  which  we  have  erected,  much  facilitated,  and  for 
want  whereof  we  undergo  great  dirflcultys,  We  humbly 
entreat  your  Excellency  and  Honours  will  now  take  our 
Necessitous  case  into  your  wise  consideration  &be  pleas- 
ed to  erect  us  into  a  distinct  Township  ;  and  your  hum- 
ble memorialists  as  in  duty  bound,  shall  ever  pray,  &c 

John  Biglo, 
Cyprian  Stevens. 

Anno  Regni  Regis  Georgii  Secundi  decimo  quarto. 
An  Act  for  erecting  the  Northerly  part  of  the  town  of 


TO  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

Worcester,  in  the  county  of  Worcester  into  a  distinct 
and  separate  Township  by  the  name  of  Holden. 

Whereas  the  inhabitants  of  the  Northerly  part  of  the 
town  of  Worcester,  commonly  called  North  Worcester, 
by  reason  of  the  great  difficulties  they  labour  under,  have 
addressed  this  Court  to  be  set  off  a  separate  and  distinct 
Township,  whereby  the  inhabitants  of  said  Town  have 
manifested  their  consent, 

Be  it  enacted  by  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  Coun- 
cil and  Representatives  in  General  Court  assembled,  and 
by  the  authority  of  the  same — That  the  Northerly  part 
of  the  Town  of  Worcester,  within  the  following  bounds, 
viz  : — bounding  South-easterly  on  the  lines  dividing  the 
North  and  South  Proprieties  of  said  Town,  and  is  known 
as  the  dividing  line ;  westerly  partly  on  the  Town  of 
Leicester,  and  partly  on  the  Town  of  Rutland  ;  and  eas- 
terly on  the  Town  of  Shrewsbury,  be  and  hereby  is  set 
off,  from  the  Town  of  Worcester,  and  erected  into  a  sep- 
arate and  distinct  Township  by  the  name  of  Holden,  and 
that  the  inhabitants  thereof  be  and  hereby  are  vested 
with  all  the  Powers,  Privileges,  and  Immunities  which 
the  inhabitants  of  other  Towns  within  this  Province,  do 
and  by  right  ought  to  enjoy. 

Provided  nevertheless  that  the  said  new  Town  shall 
pay  their  proportionable  part  of  all  such  Province  and 
County  taxes  as  are  already  assessd  upon  the  Town  of 
Worcester,  in  like  manner  as  tho'  this  act  had  never  been 
made. 

January  2,  1740.  This  bill  having  been  read  three  sev- 
eral times  in  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives, Passed  to  be  enacted. 

J.  Quincy,  Sp. 
January  2,  1740.     This  bill  having  been  read  three  sev- 
eral times  in  the  House  of  Represen- 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  II? 

tatives.  Passed  to  be  enacted. 

J.  Willard,  Sec'ry. 
January  9,  1740.      By  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  I 

consent  to  the  enacting  of  this  bill. 

J.  Belcher. 

In  the  House  of  Rep'ives,  March  26,  1741. 

Ordered  that  Mr.  John  Bigelow  a  Principal  Inhabitant 
of  a  New  Town  lately  erected  cut  of  the  Northerly  part 
of  the  Town  of  Worcester  in  the  County  of  Worcester 
be  and  hereby  is  authorised  and  Impowred  to  assemble 
the  Freeholders  and  other  Qualifyed  Voters  there  on  the 
first  Monday  of  May  next  in  some  convenient  publick 
place  in  said  Town  in  order  to  their  chusing  a  Town 
Clerk  and  other  Town  officers  for  the  Year  next  Ensuing 
Sent  up  for  concurrence 

J.  Quincy,  Sp'kr. 
In  Council  March  27,  1741  Read  &  Concur'd 

J.  Willard,  Sec'y. 
Consent'd  to 

J.  Belcher. 


[Note  C. — See  page  33.] 

FORMATION    OF    THE    FIRST    CHURCH.    IN    HOLDEN. 

"  December  22,  1742." 
"  The  following  Churches  being  present  with  their 
Reverend  Pastors  and  Delegates,  viz  : — The  chh.  in  Lan- 
caster,  Shrewsbury  Worcester  and  Rutland,  a  church  of 
Christ  this  day  was  gathered  here  &  the  Reverend  Mr. 
Joseph  Davis  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  gospel 
Ministry  and  the  Pastoral  office  and  charge  of  this  church 
"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Buckminster  began  with  prayer. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Burr  preached  from  Isaiah  58  :  1. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Prentice  gave  the  charge,  and 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Cushing  the  right  hand  of  Fellowship." 


72  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

"  The   persons   embodied   belonged    to  the  following 

churches : — 

Simon  Davis 

Joseph  Davis 

Cyprian  Stevens        }    .    Rutland. 

Samuel  Hubbard 

David  Brown 

John  Fletcher 

William  Nickols  in  Reading.. 

John  Bigelow  in  Worcester. 

Jabez  Harrington  in  Weston. 

These  produced  their  letters  dismissory  and  recom- 
mendatory, before  embodied." 

The  following  were  received  at  the  gathering  of  the 
church :  Samuel  Pierce,  Jotham  BigeloAV,  Samuel  Hey- 
wood,  Joseph  Hubbard  &  Amos  Heywood. 

N.  B.     These  were  propounded  sometime  before." 


[Note  D. — See  page  40. 

EXTRACT  CHH.  RECORDS. 

"  December  21,  1774. 

The  following  churches  being  present,  by  their  Rev'd. 
Pastors  and  Delegates,  viz:  The  church  in  Rutland, 
Worcester,  1st  in  Shrewsbury,  Paxton,  1st  in  Dedham, 
and  2d  in  Brookfield,  the  Rev'd.  Joseph  Avery  was  or- 
dained here  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  and  to 
the  pastoral  office  and  charge  of  this  church. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Inman  prayed 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Haven  preached. * 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Maccarty  gave  ye  charge. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Buckminster  gave  tne  right  hand  of  fel- 
lowship. 

*  The  Sermon  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Haven  waa  published. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


3 


[Xote  E. — See 

CENSUS    OF    HOLDEN    BY 
David  Winch  5 


Elijah  Rice 

6 

Masten  Holt 

5 

Moses  Sticking 

11 

Samuel  Grant 

6 

Job  Colborn 

7 

Wm  Niekola 

10 

John  Perry 

8 

John  Obens 

2 

Abra.  How 

3 

Asa  How 

7 

Elisha  Hubbard 

7 

Elijah  Rice,  Jun. 

6 

Peter  Hubbard 

3 

Win.  Harris 

9 

Elisha  Mirrick 

8 

Aaron  Newton 

3 

Joseph  Morse 

10 

Sam'I  Estabrook,  jun 

4 

Thos.  Grout 

5 

Andrew  Smith 

11 

Dea.  Joseph  Hubbard         7 

Jonas  Gale  11 

Wm.  Marshall  7 

Hezekiah  Walker  3 

Seth  Snow  7 

Edmund  Hall  4 

John  Winch  9 

Josiah  Broad,  jun  4 

John  Abbott  12 

Josiah  Stratton  8 

John  Wheeler  4 

Abel  How  3 

Henry  Taft  9 

Benjamin  Allen  6 

Paul  Goodale  5 

Sarn'l.  Chaffin  9 

Ephraim  Smith  6 


page  47.] 
families,  1773. 

Wm.  Raymond  7 

Dea.  David  Fiske  8 

Sarn'l  Hey  wood  9 

James  Dods  3 

Rd.  Flagg  5 

Daniel  Black  6 

Benja.  Mead  5 

Isaac  Bartlett  11 

Isaac  Chenery  8 

Isaac  Davis,  jun  7 

Nathaniel  Shephard  8 

John  Gleason  7 

Peter  Goulden  6 

Samuel  Hubbard  7 

Joseph  Kingsbury  6 

Noah  Haven  3 

John  Black  5 

Jabez  Harrington  11 

James  Chenery  6 

Francis  Wilson  4 

Jona  Howe  6 

Ebenezr  Melet  5 

Joseph  Greenwood  5 

Samuel  Estabrook  8 

Josiah  Cheney  8 

Charles  Hey  wood  13 

Amos  Heywood  9 

Israel  Davis  S 

Josiah  Broad  7 
Samuel  Hubbard  junr         8 

Asa  Lovel  4 

Peter  Xoice  2 

Ephraim  Holt  5 

Bezaleel  Fisk  6 

Increase  Stearns  9 

Judah  Wright  6 

Joseph  Davis  5 

Thomas  Kimball  8 


74  HISTORY  OF    HOLDEN. 

Stephen  White  6  Jeremiah  Fuller  5 

Jona.  Lovell  8  David  Perry  5 

Moses  Wheeler,  jun  2  Jesse  Allen  5 


[Note  F. — See  page  47.] 
£-  The  following  is  an  account  of  what  cost  the  Town 
of  Holden  has  been  at  during  the  present  war  in  part." 

70  men  the  first  alarm  at  Cambridge,  April  19,  1775,  £  40  s  0 

27  men  S  months  at  Winter  Hill,  May,  1775, 
12  men  6  weeks  at  Dotchester,  December,  1775, 
18  men  2  months  at  Dotchester,  February  1776, 

18  men  5  months  at  New  York,  July  1776, 

3  men  1  year  at  the  Northward,  1776, 

4  men  5  months  at  Ticonderoga,  July  1776, 
4  men  5  months  at  Boston,  July  1776, 

15  men  2  months  at  New  York,  September  1776, 
15  men  3  months  at  the  Jersies,  December  1776, 

8  men  8  months  at  Rhodisland,  upon  a   Request  of  the 
General  Court,  April  12,  1777, 

11  men  6  weeks  at  Bennington,  July  1777, 

15  men  3  months  at  Stillwater,  September  1777, 

7  men  2  months  at  Providence,  May  1777, 
20  men  1  month  at  Fort  Edivard,  October  1777, 

1  man  6  months  to  Guard  Stores  at  Brookfield,  June  1777, 

2  men  6  months  to  Guard  Stores  at  Brookfield,  Dec.  1777, 

9  men  3  months  at  Rutland  as  Guards,  March  1773, 

3  men  6  months  at  Rutland,  Julv  177S, 

4  men  3  months  to  Dotchester,  Sept  177S, 

5  men  9  months  to  reinforce  the  continental  army,  July  1779, 1S7    10 

4  men  S  months  to  Peekskill,  May  29,  1779,                           100  0 

6  men  9  months  to  Rhodisland,  March  177S,                              50  0 

8  men  6  weeks  at  Newport,  to  reinforce  Gen,  Sullivan,  1778,  24  0 
3  men  6  weeks  at  Tiver  Town,  May  1779,  4  15 
2  men  3  months  at  Rutland  to  Guard,  July  1779,  4  10 
2  men  3  months  at  Rutland,  January  30,  1779,                             3  0 

5  men  9  months  at  West  Point,  July  5,  1776,  1S7  10 
5  men  2  months  at  Rhodisland,  Sept.  20,  1779,  10  10 
8  men  3  months  to  Claverick,  October  9,  1779,  5S  16 

19  men  upon  an  alarm  to  Hadley,  August  1777,  26  0 
2  men  at  Rutland,  April  1780,  16  0 


23S 

0 

26 

17 

30 

0 

180 

5 

10S 

0 

52 

0 

30 

0 

63 

0 

150 

0 

64 

0 

70 

0 

90 

0 

28 

0 

38 

0 

8 

0 

12 

0 

27 

0 

18 

0 

17 

0 

HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


tO 


[Note  G. — See  page  48.] 

The  following  persons  are  known  to  have  served  in 
the  Revolutionary  War  from  Holden. 

Those  names  marked  with  a  star  served  in  the  Con- 
tinental army. 


♦Jeremiah  Fuller 
*Peter  Partridge 
♦Ezra  Rice 
*David  Potter 
♦Moses  Wheeler 
*Nathan  Wheeler 
*Thomas  Heard 
♦William  Flagg 
♦Increase  Stearns 
♦Andrew  A  Hard 
♦Thomas  Stevens 
♦John  Griffin 
♦David  Brown 
♦Thomas  Kimball 
♦John  Williams 

-A 

♦Samuel  Roe 
♦John  Bayley 
♦Jonathan  Bartlett 
♦Jonathan  Flagg 
♦Simon  Peter 
♦Barzilla  Stickney 
♦William  Ebet 
♦Daniel  Perry 
♦Philip  Boston 
John  Abbott 
John  Potter 
♦Artemas  Dryden 
♦Increase  Stearns,  jr 
William  Heard 
John  Dodd 


Jabez  Metcalf 
Johnathan  Howe 
Joseph  Howe 
Solomon  Parmenter 
James  Davis,  jr 
Edmund  Davis 
Jacob  Black 
Nathaniel  Shephard 
Francis  Wilson 
Samuel  Thompson 
John  Obens 
Samuel  Hubbard 
Isaac  Chenery 
Sparrow  Crosby 
Jonathan  Moore 
♦George  Webb 
Bezaleel  Turner 
Jonathan  Nichols 
Tilla  Chaffin 
Solomon  Davis 
Daniel  Grout 
♦James  Potter 
♦Thomas  Davis 
♦Samuel  Grant 
♦Thomas  Wheeler 
Aaron  Wheeler 
Daniel  Hinds 
Joshua  Gale 
Simon  Stickney 
Zillas  Stickney 


N.  B.     This  list  is  not  supposed  to  be  complete,  as  it  was  made  from 
tradition. 


76  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

[Note  H. — See  page  54.] 

NOTICE    OF    DANIEL    SHAYS.* 

£:This  individual  acquired  an  unenviable  notoriety 
which  imparts  some  degree  of  interest  to  the  incidents  of 
his  life.  He  was  born  in  Hopkinton,  in  1747;  the  son 
of  parents  not  in  affluent  circumstances,  he  worked  with 
Mr  Brinley  a  respectable  farmer  of  Framingham.  The 
activity  and  energy  of  his  youth  promised  at  maturity 
more  desirable  elevation  than  he  attained.  That  his  ed- 
ucation was  neglected,  is  apparent  from  his  official  let- 
ters, bidding  defiance  alike  to  government,  to  grammar, 
and  good  spelling.  Just  before  the  revolution,  he  re- 
moved to  one  of  the  towns  beyond  the  Connecticut  river, 
and  afterwards  resided  in  Pelham.  When  the  war  com- 
menced he  entered  the  army  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight, 
with  the  rank  of  Ensign,  in  Capt  Dickinson's  company, 
in  Col.  Benjamin  Ruggles  Woodbridge's  regiment.  His 
ambition,  activity,  and  the  plausible  manners  covering 
the  want  of  acquirements,  joined  with  personal  intrepid- 
ity, obtained  promotion,  and  in  1776,  he  was  appointed 
lieutenant  in  Col.  Varnum's  regiment.  At  a  time  when 
the  line  peculiarly  needed  reenforcement,  he  was  detached 
on  the  recruiting  service,  with  the  promise  of  some  suit- 
able reward  for  the  enlistment  of  twenty  men.  For  this 
purpose  he  visited  his  native  state,  and  his  unwearied 
exertions  were  crowned  with  ample  success.  When  the 
complement  assigned  to  him  was  filled,  a  plan  suggested 
itself  for  grasping  honor  and  pay  at  once.  Finding  the 
pulse  of  patriotism  beat  high,  and  the  young  men  of  New 
England  were  ready  to  devote  themselves  for  their  coun- 
try, he  continued  his  enlistments.  Insinuating  address 
and  bold   representations,  produced  impressions  of  his 


*  The  contents  of  this  note  are  taken  entire,  from   Lincoln's  history   of 
Worcester,  p.  369—371. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  77 

ability  and  influence,  easily  turned  to  his  own  advantage, 
and  by  holding  out  expectations  of  indulgence  to  those 
who  should  serve  under  his  command,  a  company  was 
raised,  on  the  condition  that  he  should  be  their  captain. 
With  these  men  he  returned  to  the  camp,  where  they 
were  mustered.  When  the  inspector  was  about  to  dis- 
tribute them  to  different  corps,  Shays  produced  the  en- 
listment papers;  pointed  to  the  condition  which  held 
them  to  serve  under  himself  alone ;  and  requested  the 
appointment  of  Captain.  The  necessity  of  the  time  pre- 
vented the  sacrifice  of  so  many  recruits,  and  after  indig- 
nant remonstrances,  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  yield  to 
his  demands.  The  commission  was  promised,  and  is- 
sued after  long  delay,  in  Sept.  1779,  to  relate  back  to  Jan. 
1,  1777.  Such  is  the  account  tradition  gives  of  his  mili- 
tary rank.  The  honors,  ill  won,  were  not  long  worn. 
He  was  discharged  Get  14,  1780,  at  Newark,  in  New 
Jersey,  from  Col.  Rufus  Putnam's  regiment. 

The  deficiency  of  honorable  sentiment  in  his  mental 
constitution,  may  be  inferred  from  a  characteristic  inci- 
dent. Lafayette  had  presented,  in  1780,  to  each  of  the 
American  officers  under  his  immediate  command,  an  ele- 
gant sword.  Such  pledge  of  regard  from  the  patriot 
chief,  a  soldier  with  a  spark  of  generous  feeling,  would 
have  cherished  as  his  dearest  possession,  and  transmitted 
to  his  posterity  as  an  heirloom  of  inestimable  value. 
Shays  sold  the  gift  of  his  commander  for  a  few  dollars. 

After  being  disbanded,  he  retired  to  Pelham,  and  lived 
in  obscurity.  Bankrupt  in  fortune  and  in  fame,  Shays 
was  ready  to  embark  on  the  flood  of  any  desperate  ad- 
venture. Without  the  energetic  decision  or  enlarged 
conceptions,  the  strong  spirit  or  the  bold  daring,  which 
befit  a  leader,  by  some  accident,  he  was  elevated   to  the 

command  of  the  insurgents.     Of  capacity  too  humble  to; 

7# 


78  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

direct  the  movements  of  an  army  in  those  moments  when 
the  force  of  talent  makes  itself  felt  by  triumphant  results. 
and  turns  even  obstructions  into  encouragements,  he  was 
weak,  vacillating,  and  irresolute.  It  was  providential 
:hat  the  physical  power  of  the  arm  of  rebellion  had  so 
feeble  a  head  to  direct  its  blow. 

With  the  first  shade  of  adversity,  he  made  indirect 
overtures  to  the  agents  of  government,  to  abandon  his 
comrades  to  their  fate,  on  assurance  of  personal  safety  : 
and  when  his  base  propositions  were  rejected,  and  prom- 
ises of  indemnity  and  pardon  were  offered  to  his  follow- 
ers, his  persuasions  induced  them  to  reject  the  proffered 
mercy  and  retain  the  arms  of  hopeless  controversy,  to 
purchase  by  their  sacrifice  security  for  himself. 

When  the  insurrection  was  crushed,  he  retired  to  Ver- 
mont. After  the  lapse  of  a  few  years,  the  general  of  the 
rebellion,  passed  through  the  streets  of  Worcester,  which 
he  once  entered  at  the  head  of  an  army,  and  received  as- 
sistance from  those  whose  homes  he  had  threatened  with 
desolation. 

At  length  he  removed  to  Sparta,  in  New  York.  As  a 
pensioner  of  the  United  States,  he  derived  his  daily  bread 
from  the  government,  whose  forces  he  had  encountered 
in  arms.     Declarations  filed  in  the  department  of  war  by 

nself,  show  that  his  family  consisted  of  an  aged  wife, 
and  that  he  lived  in  extreme  poverty.  He  died  Sept.  29, 
1825,  aged  78.* 

However  much  the  honor  and  integrity  of  Daniel  Shays 


*  He  married  Nancy  Haven,  a  widow.  The  schedule  of  his  property  in 
1820,  filed  in  the  pension  oifice,  exhibits  a  condition  of  almost  utter  destitu- 
tion.    It  is  as  follows: 

1  mare,  825  :  1  old  saddle,  $2  50:  bridle,  50:  1  old  cutter,  $5:  1  old 
axe,  62  1-2  cents:  1  hoe,  62  1-2  cents:  1  table,  $3:  3  chairs  $1  12  1-2: 
I  old  scythe  and  snath,  1  12  1-2:  1  old  pail,  12  1-2  cents:  1  large  bible,  $1: 
amounting  to  $40  62. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  79 

were  questioned,  his  courage  was  never  disputed.  He 
was  in  the  battle  of  Bunker's  Hill,  at  the  capture  of  Bur- 
goyne,  and  at  the  storming  of  Stoney  Point ;  was  under 
Lafayette,  and  did  good  service  in  many  bloody  encoun- 
ters. A  severe  wound,  received,  during  the  revolution, 
was  honorary  testimonial  of  intrepidity.  When  Shep- 
ard  and  himself  met  at  Springfield,  the  former  addressed 
him  by  the  title  of  general :  Shays  instantly  demanded 
an  explanation,  declaring  he  claimed  no  rank  but  that  of 
captain,  and  added  laying  his  hand  on  his  sword,  that  if 
different  designation  was  given,  he  should  consider  it 
insult,  and  would  exact  immediate  satisfaction  on  the 
spot 

An  aged  inhabitant  of  Hopkinton,  who  was  school- 
mate of  the  rebel  captain,  states  that  he  was  born  on  the 
farm  in  that  town,  still  called  the  '  Shays  place,'  situ- 
ated on  Saddle  Hill,  about  two  miles  west  of  the  meet- 
ing house  ;  that  he  made  his  home  there  principally,  un- 
til he  removed  with  his  father,  to  a  place  beyond  Con- 
necticut river,  which,  as  is  supposed,  was. Great  Barring- 
ton.  The  estate  where  his  early  youth  was  passed,  has 
long  been  deserted  as  a  human  habitation,  and  the  forest 
which  has  overgrown  the  forsaken  orchard  is  intersper- 
sed at  regular  intervals,  with  aged  apple  trees. 

An  estimable  and  respected  clergyman  relates,  that 
soon  after  he  began  to  preach  as  a  candidate,  he  was  em- 
ployed at  Pelham ;  on  the  first  Sunday  of  his  visit  there, 
he  observed  a  very  well  dressed  gentleman,  with  a  mili- 
tary air,  enter  the  meeting-house  :  immediately  every 
pew  door  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  of  the  aisle  was 
thrown  open,  and  he  was  received  with  the  most  respect- 
ful salutations  :  this  distinguished  person  was  Daniel 
Shays  who  had  just  returned  to  that  town,  with  the  par- 


80  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

don  of  the  government,  and  lived  upon  the  west  side  of 
the  east  hill.  The  next  day,  Shays  called  on  the  cler- 
gyman, and  held  long  discourse  about  his  labors  and  suf- 
ferings. He  said  he  had  been  entirely  deceived  in  res- 
pect to  the  feelings  of  the  people  :  that  he  had  received 
assurances  that  if  he  would  collect  an  hundred  men,  and 
march  in  any  direction,  multitudes  would  flock  to  his 
standard.  Relying  on  these  representations,  he  began 
his  march  with  a  small  force,  but  found  he  produced  little 
sensation  and  that  few  joined  him  :  at  night,  he  thought 
it  necessary  to  preserve  the  appearance  of  military  or- 
ganization and  to  mount  guard,  and  ordered  a  man  to 
stand  sentry  ;  '  no  I  won't,'  was  the  reply  to  the  com- 
mander, '  let  that  man,  he  is  not  so  sick  as  I  be' ;  the 
second  man  refused,  desiring  him  to  take  another  who  was 
stronger,  and  the  chief  of  the  insurrection  found  himself 
without  authority  at  the  head  of  a  tumultuary  army. 

A  soldier  of  the  rebellion,  who  had  fled  from  Spring- 
field to  Pelham  without  stopping  and  hid  his  gun  under 
the  barn  floor,  asked  Shays  why  he  did  not  stand  his 
ground  ?  the  reply  was  '  you  know,  if  I  had,  I  must 
have  stood  alone.' 

The  clergyman  describes  Shays  as  an  agreeable  and 
intelligent  person,  and  the  day  he  spent  with  him  as  one 
of  the  most  interesting  of  his  life. 

These  particulars  have  been  obligingly  communicated 
by  Samuel  B,  Walcott,  Esq.  of  Hopkinton." 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEX.  81 

[Note  I. — See  Page  55.] 

DOCUMENTS    FROM    THE    WORCESTER    MAGAZINE. 

Mr.  Editor. —  You  are  desired,  by  a  number  of  the  la- 
habitants  of  the  Town  of  Holden.  to  give  the  following 
authentick  Papers  a  place  in  your  next  Magazine. 

A  true  and  exact  Copy,  attested  by  the  Town  Clerk,  of 
a  LETTER  from  RUGGLES  SPOOLER,  to  the  In- 
habitants of  the  Town  of  HOLDEX.  viz. 

To  the  Inhabitence  of  the  Town  of  Holden 

Gentlemen 
The  Request  of  a  Committee  of  the  Body  on  I 
Ground  is  as  Follows  (vis)  that  this  body  Right  to  each 
town  in  This  County  To  Petition  to  the  Governor  and 
Counsell  to  Liberate  Capt..  Shattuck  and  all  the  men 
Taken  by  Government  on  account  of  the  Late  Rising  of 
the  People  Called  Regulaters  and  Confined  in  any  of  the 
Goals  in  this  Common  Welth  and  that  the  Governor  Isue 
his  Proclamation  forthwith  that  no  Person  shall  bee  In- 
jured or  Molisted  in  Person  or  Property,  or  Here  after  be 
taken  Molisted  or  Injured  in  Consequence  of  the  Late 
Rising  of  the  People  in  stoping  Courts  in  this  Oommon- 
welth  the  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  and  General  Sessions 
of  the  Peas  May  be  suspended  untill  a  new  Choice  of  the 
General  Court  Takes  Place  according  to  the  Constitution 
in  Consequence  of  Which  all  those  that  are  in  opposition 
to  the  Present  modes  of  Goverment  and  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Same  Promis  to  Remain  Peasable  and  Quiet 
in  Expectation  of  having  at  the  Next  General  Court  a 
new  Election  Every  Immaganary  Grievance  Displayed 
by  the  Light  of  truth  of  having  Every  Real  Redress 
Furthermore  that  if  the  Governer  Cannot  Consi stand y 
Grant  the  Pravr  of  the  above  Petition  that  his  Excelen- 


/7f<Tz.£ 


82  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

cy  Caul  the  Generall  Court  to  Geather  Immediatly  For 
the  above  Purpose         Worcester  7th  1786 

Deer  I 

Ruggles  Spooner  )  modarat 

We  desire  that  the  town  may  be  calld  to  Geather  Imme- 
diately to  Conseder  of  the  above  Letter  and  make  Re- 
turn to  head  Quarters  Which  is  at  Rutland  or  on  their 
"Way  to  Westown 

The  above  is  a  true  Copy. 
Attest.  David  Fisk,  Town-Clerk. 


In  consequence  of  the  foregoing  Letter,  the  Selectmen  of 
Holden  granted  a  Warrant  for  calling  a  meeting  of 
the  Town  ;  the  town  ??iet  accordingly,  and  adopted  the 
following  PE  TITION,  viz. 
To  his  Excellency  James  Bowdoin,  Esq,  Governour  and 
Commander  in  Chief  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massa- 
chusetts, and  to  the  Hon.  the  Council,  now  sitting  at 
Boston. 
The  Petition  of  the  town  of  Holden,  regularly  assembled 
this  ISth  day  of  December,  17S6.  in  order  to  consult 
upon  the  publick  good  in  this  distressing  day,  and  to 
take  into  consideration  a  certain  request  coming  from 
a  Body  of  People  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Shays 
and  Capt.  Wheeler, 

Humbly  Sheweth, 
That  whereas  a  number  of  the  people  in  the  County 
of  Worcester,  with  a  number  in  other  counties,  have 
lately  arisen,  in  order  to  prevent  the  sitting  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  and  the  Court  of  General  Sessions  of 
the  Peace,  by  force  of  arms,  which  method  of  proceed- 
ing we  view  with  grief  and  disapprobation,  when  other 
means  more  regular  and  constitutional  might  have  been 
taken  for  a  redress  of  grievances,  which  we  apprehend 


'-      . 


« 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  83 

was  their  view  in  rising  as  abovesaid,  and  not  from  a 
view  to  destroy  government  ;  though  we  confess  that 
such  hostilities,  if  persisted  in,  has  a  direct  tendency 
thereto :  but  now,  from  a  more  mature  and  deliberate 
consideration  of  the  matter,  we  would  hope  they  are 
sensible  of  their  errour  in  being  so  hasty  in  their  pro- 
ceedings, and  we  trust  now  would  be  glad,  if  they  could 
have  an  opportunity  therefor,  to  consult  the  good  of  this 
Commonwealth  and  the  majority  of  the  people,  and  for 
the  lut are  proceed  in  a  more  legal  and  constitutional 
way  ;  Therefore  3'our  Petitioners,  from  a  sense  of  loyal- 
ty, peace  and  good  order,  Humbly  Pray,  that  the  follow- 
ing request  may  be  granted,  viz.  That  all  those  men  that 
have  been  taken  by  government,  in  consequence  of  the 
late  risings  of  the  people,  and  committed  to  goal,  maybe 
liberated,  and  that  a  Proclamation  be  immediately  issued, 
that  no  man  shall  be  molested  in  person  or  property  in 
consequence  of  the  late  rising  of  the  people  as  aforesaid, 
so  long  as  they  shall  remain  peaceable  and  quiet ;  and 
likewise  that  the  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  and  the  Courts 
of  General  Sessions  of  the  Peace,  in  the  counties  of 
\\  orcester.  Berkshire,  and  Hampshire,  may  be  suspended 
until  June  next,  and  in  order  for  this  we  humbly  desire 
that  your  Excellency  and  your  Honours  would  call  the 
General  Court  together  immediately.  Hoping  all  pub- 
lick  matters  may  be  over-ruled  for  the  weal  and  pros- 
perity of  this  Commonwealth,  your  Petitioners  as  in  duty 
bound  shall  ever  pray. 

A  true  Copy.  Attest,  David  Fisk,  Town-Clerk. 

This  Petition  to  be  presented  by  Mr.  Aaron  Broad,  ac- 
cording to  the  vote  of  the  town. 

Attest.  David  Fisk.  Town-Clerk. 


84  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

As  a  Vote  loas  obtained  for  adopting  the  foregoing  Pe- 
tition^ the  following  PROTEST  was  made,  viz. 
We  the  subscribers  are  fully  sensible  of  the  folly  and 
impropriety  of  joining  in  a  Petition  to  the  Governour  and 
Council,   agreeably  to  the  request  of  a  number  of  per- 
sons, styling  themselves  a  Committee  on  the  Ground,  and 
dated  at  Worcester,  7th  December,  1786,  signed  Ruggles 
Spooner,  Moderator,  for   the  purpose  of  praying  for  an 
act  of  pardon  for  those  people   who  have  appeared  in 
arms  since  the  act  of  indemnity,  and  also  praying  for 
the  releasment  of  those  persons  confined  in  prison  for 
treasonable  acts  against  the  government  of  the  Common- 
wealth : — Because  that  we  apprehend  that  the  Gover- 
nour and  Council  have  no  right,  without  the  legislative 
body,  to  make  any  act  of  indemnity  for  any  treason  done 
and  committed  against  the   government : — And  we  are 
not  willing,  as  being  citizens  of  the  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts,  to  ask  for  what  we  know  the  Governour 
and  Council  cannot  grant  by  that  Constitution  of  Gov- 
ernment which  has  been  established  by  the  general  con- 
sent of  the  people.     As  for  the  releasement  of  those  per- 
sons who  have  been  treasonably  guilty  of  rising  in  arms, 
and  are  now '  imprisoned  for  their  overt  acts,  we  cannot 
conceive  that  we  ought  to  interfere  or  petition  for  their 
releasement,  as  they  have  acted  with  their  eyes  open, 
after  the  government  had  pardoned  their  first  offence  : 
Therefore  we  protest  against  any  doings  of  this  town  in 
the  matter,  or  paying  any  regard  to  the  request  of  the 
aforesaid  Committee.    And  as  to  that  part  which  requests 
the  town  to  petition  the  Governour  to  call  the  Assembly 
together,  we  cannot  assent  to  it,  believing  him  to  be  the 
most  competent  judge  of  the  necessity  of  convening  the 
General  Court. 

John  Child,  John  Abbott, 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  85 

Richard  Flaggy  Reuben  Paddock. 

Samuel  Heywood,  Noah  Haven, 

Amos  Hex/wood^  Samuel  Chickering, 

Paid  Goodale,  James  Davis. 
Isaiah  Brown, 
December  2S,  1786. 
A  true  Copy.                Attest,  David  Fisk,  Town-Clerk. 


We  whose  names  are  under  written,  inhabitants  of  the 
town  of  Holden,  impressed  with  a  sense  of  our  duty,  as 
members  of  society,  and  aware  that  in  a  crisis  of  dan- 
ger, no  nerve  should  be  left  unexerted  to  promote  and 
secure  the  public  weal,  and  being  deeply  affected  with 
those  violent  measures,  with  which  this  State  has  been 
agitated,  feel  ourselves  called  upon,  explicitly  to  declare 
our  sentiments,  and  bear  our  honest  and  faithful  testi- 
mony against  those  violent  and  unwarrantable  insurrec- 
tions against  government,  which  have  thrown  the  whole 
State  into  confusion,  and  threatens  even  the  miseries  and 
horrors  of  a  civil  war  : — We  now  therefore  declare  our 
utter  and  hearty  disapprobation  of  the  conduct  of  those 
who  have  appeared  in  arms  of  late,  to  obstruct,  by  force, 
the  sitting  of  the  Courts  of  justice  in  this  State,  and  that 
it  may  be  evident  that  we  bear  this  testimony,  not  with- 
out great  and  sufficient  cause,  we  give  the  following 
reasons,  that  those  insurrections  were  unnecessary  and 
unreasonable,  without  any  real  or  supposed  object  to  jus- 
tify them,  tending  in  their  nature  to  subvert  all  order 
and  peace  in  the  community,  and  to  rob  it  of  that  which 
is  its  beauty,  strength,  and  glory — to  cut  the  sinews  of 
government,  to  sap  the  foundation  of  our  liberty,  and  to 
increase  those  burdens  already  complained  of  by  some 
as  intolerable,  and  to  plunge  the  insurgents  themselves, 
in  a  labyrinth  of  woe. — W^e  shall  now  endeavour  to  sup- 

8 


86  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

port  what  is  here  advanced,  and  then  shall  be  able  to 
make  our  appeal  to  the  world,  as  to  the  justice  of  our 
present  testimony.  That  the  late  insurrections  were  un- 
necessary, is  sufficiently  evident  from  this— whenever 
any  object  can  be  obtained  without  recourse  to  arms, 
then  the  rising  with  arms  is  unnecessary,  and  if,  for  in- 
stance, it  was  the  evident  declared  sense  of  the  major 
part  of  the  people,  that  there  should  be  an  alteration,  or 
an  abolition,  of  any  court  of  justice,  it  might  be  effected 
in  a  constitutional  way  ;  the  same  may  be  said  of  any 
thing  that  is  regarded  as  an  evil,  and  which  is  in  the 
power  of  the  general  assembly  to  remove — therefore  it  is 
unnecessary  to  rise  in  arms  to  accomplish  any  thing  the 
people  at  large  wish  to  effect,  and  which  is  consistent 
with  the  constitution  they  have  freely  established  :  The 
annual  election  of  the  various  branches  of  the  legislative 
body,  by  the  people,  is  a  sufficient  proof  of  this.  The 
unreasonableness  of  the  late  attack  on  government,  is 
conclusively  argued  thus — what  has  been  established  by 
the  general  consent  of  the  people,  for  the  regular  distri- 
bution of  justice,  it  is  reasonable  should  be  supported 
and  defended,  until  the  people,  taught  by  experience  it  is 
capable  of  being  altered  for  the  better,  have  made  the 
necessary  reform ;  and  it  is  impossible  in  the  nature  of 
things,  that  it  should  be  reasonable  to  pull  down  by 
force,  what  ought  in  reason  to  be  defended ;  for  reason 
never  contradicts,  or  is  opposed  to  itself. — We  further 
observe,  that  to  justify  a  body  of  people  for  rising  in 
arms,  the  evil  to  be  removed  ought  to  be  very  great — 
and  for  the  removal  of  which,  all  other  methods  of  re- 
dress, are  upon  trial,  found  ineffectual ; — and  this  can 
never  with  truth  be  asserted  by  the  insurgents,  as  to  the 
evils  they  pretend  to  oppose — and  that  the  late  illegal 
attack  on  government,  is  subversive  of  order  and  peace 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  87 

in  the  community,  may  sufficiently  appear  on  a  mo- 
ment's reflection  ;  for  if  one,  two,  or  three  hundred  men, 
in  one  part  of  the  State,  may  fly  to  arms,  to  destroy 
what  is  not  agreeable  to  their  minds,  the  same  number 
in  another  part  may  plead  the  same  reason,  and  the  force 
of  example  in  others,  to  justify  them  in  rising  against 
what  they  dislike,  and  so  by  this  means,  the  State  be 
kept  in  a  perpetual  alarm,  and  peace  and  order  be  anni- 
hilated among  them.  We  now  further  remark,  that  mu- 
tual benevolence,  harmonizing  in  measures  for  the  pub- 
lick  good,  and  mutual  confidence,  is  the  ornament  and 
strength  of  society  ;  but  the  late  violences  against  gov- 
ernment, have  produced  the  most  wretched  disaffection 
between  neighbor  and  neighbor,  and  in  some  instances, 
no  doubt,  between  the  nearest  relations  and  connexions 
in  life — have  confounded  every  thing  like  harmony  for 
the  publick  good — given  a  pernicious  stab  to  reciprocal 
confidence  in  one  another,  and  that  these  violences  tend 
to  cut  the  nerves  of  government  is  no  less  evident ;  they 
are  in  fact  declaring  those  in  authority,  to  be  enemies  to 
the  publick  good ;  if  not,  why  in  arms  against  them  1 
So  far  therefore  as  it  has  its  natural  impression  on  the 
minds  of  the  people,  it  instils  and  rivets  the  most  wretch- 
ed prejudices  against  them — every  thing  that  is  said 
against  them  is  believed— every  thing  almost  that  they 
do,  is  excepted  against,  without  the  ceremony  of  enquir- 
ing into  the  reasons  of  it ;  opposition  to  them,  is  estimated 
rather  as  a  virtue  than  a  vice,  and  exertions  to  support 
government  are  deemed  the  strides  of  tyranny— we  may 
instance  here,  the  exertions  of  our  worthy  Governour  to 
suppress  the  opposition  to  the  regular  course  of  justice  ; 
this  has  produced  prejudices  against  him  in  many,  and 
bitter  invectives  from  some ;  though  he  was  bound  by 
solemn  oath  to  defend  the  courts  of  justice,  and  would 


88  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

have  betrayed  the  trust  reposed  in  him  as  chief  magis- 
trate, if  he  had  taken  no  measures  to  this  end  :  It  is  not 
to  the  purpose  here,  to  assert  that  the  courts  ought  to  be 
abolished :  for  the  Governour,  as  such,  has  no  right  to 
withhold  his  support  to  the  laws  of  the  State,  though  he 
himself  or  many  others  apprehend  they  may  be  altered 
for  the  better,  until  the  alteration  is  actually  made  by 
legal  authority  ;  for  if  he  may  cease  to  defend  one  branch 
of  the  government,  because  of  the  disaffection  of  some, 
he  may  by  the  same  rule  cease  to  defend  another  part, 
for  the  clamours  of  others,  and  so  government  must  sink 
immediately ;  it  is  clear  therefore  that  what  we  testify 
against,  tends  to  destroy  the  very  sinews  of  government 
— nor  is  it  difficult  to  discern  its  tendency  to  sap  the 
foundations  of  our  present  liberties. — There  is  no  com- 
munity under  Heaven,  where  the  liberty  of  the  people 
at  large  is  more  fully  in  their  own  hands.  If  a  govern- 
ment so  popular  should  be  destroyed  by  usurpation,  or 
in  other  words,  by  the  insurgents,  this  must  naturally 
issue  in  a  more  tyrannical  mode  of  government — more- 
over it  would  be  wisdom  to  remember,  that  if  men  of 
ability  and  property  in  the  State,  should  be  worn  down 
by  ineffectual  exertions  to  support  the  present  mode  of 
government,  by  reason  of  such  insurrections,  it  will  not 
be  strange,  if  in  a  future  day  they  should  turn  and  bend 
all  their  exertions  to  bring  about  a  government  less  free 
and  popular.-— The  next  thing  to  be  supported,  will  per- 
haps, particularly  apply  to  our  feelings  in  general,  that 
the  hostile  measures  of  the  insurgents,  tend  to  increase 
the  burdens  already  complained  of.— These  measures 
discharge  no  debts,  pay  no  taxes,  they  produce  cost  on 
the  part  of  government  for  its  support,  and  on  the  part 
of  the  opposition  there  is  loss  of  time  and  treasure  : — If 
they  do  not  overthrow  the   present  government,  their 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  89 

burdens  will  be  increased,  and  if  they  do,  their  burdens 
will  be  more  augmented  still,  by  the  time  another  is 
established — so  let  things  turn  as  they  may,  they  are  to 
expect  an  increase  of  burdens.  If  it  should  be  replied, 
that  in  this  way  it  is  expected  to  remove  some  things 
that  are  impoverishing,  to  this  it  is  answered,  that  no- 
thing in  this  way  can  be  removed  that  is  an  evil,  which 
could  not  be  without  this  accumulation  of  cost.  We 
now  add  as  to  the  insurgents  plunging  themselves  in  a 
labyrinth  of  woe — that  if  they  persevere  until  the  sword 
decides  the  controversy,  and  should  they  triumph  by  the 
dint  of  arms,  they  will  have  the  piercing  reflection,  that 
many  of  their  friends  as  well  as  others  are  sacrificed  to 
save  a  comparatively  small  expence — their  property 
wasted,  lost  to  a  great  degree,  and  will  experience  the 
most  insuperable  difficulties,  in  establishing  a  govern- 
ment that  will  preserve  them  from  internal  distraction, 
or  foreign  invasion  ;  but  when  we  mention  their  triumph 
in  arms,  we  esteem  an  expectation  of  it  as  merely  vision- 
ary, and  such  an  event  as  is  contrary  to  all  human  pro- 
bability. If  called  into  the  field  of  war,  where  are  their 
resources  ?  Money  sufficient  to  carry  on  a  war  they 
have  not;  no  nation  on  earth,  or  individuals  of  property 
would  lend  them  this,  in  the  present  unorganized  state, 
as  there  would  be  almost  a  moral  certainty  that  they 
would  loose  it.  If  they  made  paper  money,  in  their 
present  state,  they  could  give  it  no  credit  by  any  thing 
but  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  this  is  no  credit  at  all. 
They  have  no  system  of  government  to  give  directions 
and  force  to  their  movements— are  greatly  deficient  in 
their  apparatus,  for  war ; — a  most  formidable  force  from 
this,  and  if  need  be  from  the  other  States,  far  better  pre-* 
pared  than  themselves,  they  would  have  to  combat ;  the 
scorn  and  contempt  of  foreigners  they  might  expect;  for 


90  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

their  folly  and  impolicy  ;  and  what  is  more  than  all  the 
rest,  the  frowns  of  Heaven,  as  the  guilty  cause  of  blood- 
shed and  miseries,  without  any  thing  to  justify  their  hos- 
tilities; so  that  they  might  soon  expect  to  lie  at  the  mer- 
cy of  those,  whose  resentments  would  he  whetted  against 
them,  by  the  most  cruel  injuries  and  insults.  As  these 
insurrections  therefore,  are  so  totally  wrong,  impolitick, 
and  of  such  pernicious  tendency,  we  esteem  ourselves  as 
bound  in  duty,  to  use  our  influence  to  suppress,  and  pre- 
vent them  if  possible ; — and  as  yet,  Ave  hope  that  the 
most  tragical  events  to  which  they  tend,  may  be  pre- 
vented. As  to  the  request  from  a  body  of  men  under 
arms,  communicated  to  this  town,  waving  any  observa- 
tions on  what  is  contained  therein,  we  regard  it  as  im- 
politick, and  unreasonable  to  grant  it — and  apprehend  a 
compliance  therewith,  would  be  dishonourary  and  preju- 
dicial to  the  town;  at  the  same  time  declare,  that  we 
have  full  confidence,  that  if  the  insurgents  will  now  lay 
down  their  arms,  and  throw  themselves  on  the  clemency 
of  government,  they  will  experience  this  to  the  utmost 
extent  of  what  humanity  shall  dictate,  or  the  safety  and 
honour  of  the  State  will  admit  of,  even  now  when  they 
stand  chargeable  with  having  insulted  clemency  itself. — 
But  as  to  the  small  number  that  have  joined  that  body 
from  this  town,  we  declare  our  sincere  sorrow  for  them, 
charitably  believe  they  were  drawn  into  it,  by  the  insti- 
gation of  designing  men,  and  for  the  want  of  knowing 
the  tendency  of  such  measures,  and  that  they  have  not 
the  destruction  of  government  in  contemplation — that  in 
concert  with  others,  they  have  practically  levelled  a 
blow  at  the  very  foundation  of  it ;  and  if  they  will  now 
assure  the  town  of  a  conviction  of  their  errour,  and  their 
fixed  resolution  to  renounce  such  measures,  it  will  not 
only  afford  us  the  sincerest  pleasure,   but  induce  us,  if 


HISTORY   OF   HOLDEN. 


91 


desired,  to  use  our  friendly  influence,  that  they  may  ex- 
perience the  clemency  of  government,  and  share  in  com- 
mon with  us,  the  blessings  and  protection  of  good  gov- 
ernment. We  close  with  expressing  our  fervent  wishes, 
that  every  unnecessary  burden  may  be  prevented,  and 
every  necessary  one  speedily  lightened  ;  that  benevolence 
friendship,  and  union,  may  pervade  this  and  every  State 
in  the  union  ;  that  peace  and  tranquility  may  be  restored 
where  interrupted— good  government  supported,  and  jus- 
tice executed  in  them — that  the  smiles  of  propitious 
Heaven  may  attend  them,  and  the  latest  posterity  may 
rejoice  in  a  fair  inheritance,  transmitted  to  them  through 
succeeding  generations. 


John   Child, 
Richard  Flagg, 
Samuel  Heywood, 
Amos  Heywood, 
Reuben  Paddock, 
James  Davis, 
Isaiah  Brown, 
Thomas  Knowles, 
John  Abbott, 
Paul  Goodale, 
Samuel  Chickering, 
John  Dods, 
George   Webb, 
Jonas  Hubbard^ 
John  Holden, 


Israel  Davis,  jun. 
Edmund  Hall, 
Asa  Greenwood, 
James  Dods, 
Joseph  Hubbard, 
Joseph  Hubbard,  juiv. 
Tilly  Hubbard, 
Samuel  Hubbard, 
Elnathan  Davis, 
Sam.  Hey  wood,  jun, 
Samuel  Damon, 
Benjamin  Flctgg, 
Lemuel  Abbott, 
Aaron  Newell, 
Abd  Howe. 


APPENDIX. 


Municipal  Officers — Congregational  Church — Pastors 
and  Deacons,  Cong,  church — Baptist  Church — Pas- 
tors, Bap.  church — Gentlemen's  and  Ladies'  Mission- 
ary Society — Judah  Wright— Society  for  Detecting 
Theives — Topography — Justices — Lawyer — College 
Graduates — Missionaries— Post  Masters — Physicians 
— Masonry — Military  Affairs — Schools — Population 
— Valuations — Manufactures — Things  in  general. 


MUNICIPAL  OFFICERS. . . .  1741—1841, 


town  clerks. 

Cyprian  Stevens, 

1741—46. 

Samuel  Hey  wood. 

1747—51. 

Samuel  Peirce, 

1752,  54—57. 

Joseph  Greenwood, 

1753. 

Israel  Davis, 

1758—74,  78—81. 

John  Childs,  jr., 

1775—82. 

David  Fiske, 

1783—86,  88,  89. 

Noah  Haven, 

1787. 

John  Dodd, 

1790—1801. 

William  Dodd, 

1802. 

Paul  Davis, 

1803—20. 

Paul  Davis,  jr., 

1821—41. 

selectmen. 

Simon  Davis, 

1741—43, 

94  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

John  Biglo,  1741—46,  48—51,  55,  56,  61. 

Cyprian  Stevens,  1741,  44 — 46. 

Samuel  Thompson,  1742,  54. 

Samuel  Peirce,  1743,  46,  48—52,  56—58. 

Samuel  Heywood,  1744,  48—51,  59,  60,  64,  66. 

David  Brown,  1745. 

Samuel  Hubbard,  1747,  53—55,  57,  62,  64. 

Jonathan  Lovell,  1747,  52,  59,  60. 

William  Nichols,  1747. 

Richard  Flagg,  1752—58,  60,  63,  79,  80. 

Israel  Davis,  1753—55,  58—60,  63—71. 

Joseph  Hubbard,  1753—55,  61,  62,  64—67,  72,  73. 

Joseph  Greenwood,  1753,  61. 

James  Boyd,  1756 — 58. 

Amos  Heywood,  1756,  57,  62,  63,  80. 

John  Child,  1758,  62—67,  70—76. 

Benjamin  Howard,  1759. 

Bezaleel  Fiske,  1759,  60. 

Jonathan  Rice,  1761,  67—71,  74—76. 

David  Fiske,  1761,  62,  69—71,  77,  78,  83. 

Jonathan  Wheeler,  1763,  72. 

Isaac  Smith,  1765. 

Benjamin  Mead,  1765—71,  73—75,  79. 

Paul  Raymond,  1768,  69,  73—77. 

Ignatius  Goulding,  1768. 

Andrew  Smith,  1772. 

James  Davis,  1772—79,  84. 

Moses  Smith,  1776—78,  80. 

John  Child,  jr.  1777. 

Jason  Gleason,  1778,  79,  88. 

John  Perry,  1778—81. 

Samuel  Thompson,  1780,  82,  83. 

Elisha  Hubbard,  1781—83,  86,  87. 

Noah  Haven,  1781,  83. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  95 

Francis  Wilson,  1781,  ST.  S*^  ft#%A||C    f|>#^, 

John  Child,  1782,  83. 

William  Nichols,  1782. 

Josiah  Stratton,  1782,  88—91. 

Ebenezer  Estabrook,  1784—86,  88,  90,  91,  94,  98—1803. 

Henry  Taft,  1784,  89—91. 

Israel  Davis,  jr.  1784 — 87. 

Elisha  Myrick,  1784,  85. 

Nathan  Harrington^,  1785. 

Isaac  Chenery,  1785,  86,  88,  89.            4 

John  Dodd,  1786,  94—97. 

Samuel  Hubbard,  17.87,  92—95,  98—1801. 

Isaiah  Brown,  1787. 

John  Davis,  1789,  90—97. 

David  Smith,  1789—97. 

George  Webb,  '    1792,  93. 

Samuel  Damon,  1792 — 97. 

William  Drury,  1795—97,  1801r05. 

Peter  Hubbard,  1798— 1S00. 

Lemuel  Abbott,  1798—1806. 

Elnathan  Davis,  1798,  1802—04. 

James  Dodd,  1799,  1800. 

Joseph  Daniels,  1801,  03. 

Tilla  Chaffin,  1804—08. 

Asa  Wheeler,  1804—09. 

Ethan  Davis,  1805—17. 

Heman  Richardson,  1806 — 11. 

Samuel  Hey  wood,  1807 — 11. 

Asa  Greenwood,  1809 — 18. 

Lemuel  Davis,  1810 — 14. 

John  Chaffin,  1812—16. 

Abner  Perry,  1812—15,  20—26. 

Silas  Flagg.  1815,  17—26. 


96  HISTORY   OF   HOLDEN. 


,  PtwL  Da^is,  Jr. 

1816—19. 

Samuel  Damon, 

1816—21,  27- 

-31,  36. 

James  Bailey, 

1818,  19. 

Daniel  Knowlton, 

1819,  20. 

John  Davis, 

1820,  21. 

James  Estabrook, 

1821—24. 

William  Metcalf, 

1822—26,  30. 

Samuel  Foster, 

1822—25. 

William  Flagg, 
Thomas  |L  Davis, 

1825— 28.  ,f 
1826,  34x731,' 

31, 

40,  41. 

Thomas  Howe, 

1S27— 29,  31, 

32,  34,  35. 

Samuel  W.  Hubbard, 

1S27— 29. 
18^T— 31. 

Farnum  White, 

Charles  Chaffin, 

1829—35,  41. 

George  Flagg, 

1830—33,  40, 

41. 

Tilla  Chaffin,  jr. 

1831,  33. 

John  Lovell, 

1S32,  34. 

John  F.  Smith, 

1832. 

Dennis  Davis, 

1S33. 

Barney  Howe, 

1833,  37. 

Stillman  Estabrook, 

1834—36. 

John  M.  Goodale, 

1835,  36. 

Joel  Walker, 

1S36,  37. 

Paul  Davis, 

1837,  3S, 

Willis  Smith, 

1837—39. 

Jacob  Howard, 

1837. 

Samuel  D.  Greenwood, 

1837—40. 

Jonathan  Chaffin, 

1837—39. 

John  Jepherson, 

1838. 

, 

Lyman  Bryant, 

1839,  40. 

James  Winch, 

1839,  40, 

James  S.  Moore, 

1841. 

John  Richardson, 

1841. 

1741, 

44, 

48- 

-51, 

59. 

1742. 

1742, 

44- 

-46, 

48- 

-51, 

55, 

5$. 

1742, 

54. 

1843, 

47. 

1743- 

-46. 

HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  ':7 

ASSESSORS. 

Samuel  Clark,  1741. 

Samuel  Pierce,  1741,  43,  46,  48-52,  56-58. 
Samuel  Heywood, 
Simon  Davis, 
John  Biglo, 
Samuel  Thompson, 
William  Nichols, 
Cyprian  Stevens, 

David  Brown,  1745. 

Samuel  Hubbard,  1747,  53 — 55. 

Jonathan  Lovell,  1747,  52. 

Richard  Flagg,  1752—58,  60,  61—64. 

Israel  Davis,  1753 — 55,  59,  60,  63. 

Joseph  Hubbard,  1753 — 55. 

Joseph  Greenwood,  1753,  61,  62,  65,  66. 

James  Boyd,  1756,  58. 

Amos  Heywood,     1756,  57,  61,  62,  64—67,  69—71,  SO, 

Bezaleel  Fiske,  1759,  60. 

Isaac  Bellows,  1762,  64,  68. 

Jonathan  Wheeler,  1763. 

Benjamin  Mead,  1765,  68. 

John  Child,  jr.  1766—69,  75—77,  82. 

David  Fiske,  1767,  69—71,  77,  78,  83—85,  87,  88. 

Jonathan  Rice,  1770,  71. 

James  Davis,  1772—76,  79,  8&9  84,  1806. 

Ignatius  Goulding,  1772,  73. 

Andrew  Smith,  1772—74. 
Elisha  Hubbard,  1774-78,  81-83,  86,  87,  89,  90, 1801-5 

Isaac  Chenery^  1778. 

Noah  Haven,  1779,  81,  S3,  84,  91,  92, 

Francis  Wilson,  1779. 
Ebenezer  Estabrook,        1780. 
9 


98  HISTORY   OF    HOLDEN. 


Paul  Goodell, 

1780,  81,  87. 

Isaiah  Brown, 

1785,  86. 

John  Dodd, 

1785,-1800. 

Paul  Davis, 

1788—1800. 

Elijah  Rice,  jr. 

1788. 

John  Davis, 

1789. 

George  Webb, 

VtSSr.  '"*                      ir 

William  Drury, 

1794—1805,  07—17.  23,  ££ 

James  Dodd, 

1801—1803. 

David  Smith, 

1804,  05. 

Jonathan  Flagg, 

1S06— 10. 

Asa  Greenwood, 

1806—17. 

Lemuel  Davis, 

1811—14. 

Ebenezer  Estabrook, 

1815,  22—25,-27. 

Paul  Davis,  jr. 

1818,  22—33,  35—41. 

Samuel  Damon, 

1818,  22—24,  35,  36. 

Ethan  Davis, 

1819—21. 

Abner  Perry, 

1819—21. 

Silas  Flagg, 

1S25— 33. 

William  Metcalf, 

1828,  29. 

Dennis  Davis, 

1830—33. 

William  Flagg, 

1834. 

Seth  White, 

1834. 

Willis  Smith, 

1834—36. 

Thomas  J.  Davis, 

1837,  40. 

David  Boyclen, 

1837,  38. 

Ira  Broad, 

1838,  41. 

Joel  Walker, 

1839,  40. 

John  Richardson, 

1839. 

Samuel  D.  Greenwood, 

1841. 

TOWN   TREASURERS. 

William  Nichols, 

1741,  43,  45. 

HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  99 

John  Biglo,  1742,  50. 

Samuel  Thompson,  1744. 

Samuel  Hey  wood,  1746 — 49. 

Israel  Davis,  1751,  56 — 58. 

Joseph  Hubbard,  1752 — 55. 

Jonathan  Lovell,  1759. 

Bezaleel  Fiske,  1760,  61. 

Samuel  Hubbard,  1762 — 72. 

Nathan  Harrington,  1773 — 83. 

James  Davis,  1784 — 91. 

Elisha  Hubbard,  1792—1803. 

1804. 

1805,  06,  08—26. 

Samuel  Damon,  1S27 — 39. 

Paul  Davis,  1840,  41. 

DELEGATES    TO    PROVINCIAL    CONGRESS. 

"  Jan'y.  3, 1775 — John  Child  chosen  delegate  to  a  Provin- 
cial Congress,  to  be  held  at  Cambridge,  the  1st  day  of 
Feb'y.  next." 

"  May  20,  1775 — John  Child  chosen  to  Represent  the 
Town  in  the  Provincial  Congress,  to  be  held  at  Water 
Town  the  31st  instant." 

i:  July  5,  1775 — John  Child  chosen  to  Represent  the 
Town  in  the  Great  and  General  Court,  at  Water  Town 
the  19th  instant." 

"  Oct.  3d,  1776 — James  Davis  chosen  to  the  Great  and 
General  Court  at  Water  Town,  Oct.  9,  1776." 

11  May  19,  1777— James  Davis  chosen  to  the  Great  and 
General  Court  at  Boston,  May  28th." 

"  August  2d,  1777 — Richard  Flagg  chosen  to  sit  in  Con- 
vention at  Cambridge,  to  form  a  Constitution." 


100"  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

REPRESENTATIVES    SINCE    1780. 

John  Child,  jr.  1780,  82,  83,  90. 

Rev.  Joseph  Davis,  1781. 

Israel  Davis,  jr.  1786. 

Josiah  Stratton,  17S7. 

John  Dodd,  1792,  93,  95,  96,  98,  1800,  01 

William  Drury,  1802,  05—13,  20. 

Elnathan  Davis,  1803,  04. 

Ebenezer  Estabrook  1814 — 16,  19. 

Ethan  Davis,  1817,  21,  26. 

Samuel  Damon,  1823,  24,  31—33. 

Silas  Flagg,  1828,  29,  35,  38,<  39.  .       -  •    ' 

Asa  Broad,  1830,  31. 

Charles  Chaffin,  1832—34. 

Paul  Davis,  1834—36. 

John  Chaffin,  183tr     '*»< 

Willis  Smith,  1837. 

Tilla  Chaffin,  1838,  39. 

John  Richardson,  1840. 


CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH. 

This  was  the  only  religious  society  in  town  for  nearly 
seventy  years.  The  earlier  settlers  were  orthodox  con- 
gregationalists,  so  far  as  their  religious  tenets  can  be  as- 
certained from  ancient  records  or  tradition. 

Organization  of  the  first  chh,  and  settlement  of  first 
minister — See  Address,  page  23,  33,  and  notes,  p.  71. 

The  a  Halfway  Covenant"  system  existed  from  the 
foundation  of  the  church,  until  1809.  This  was  an  ar- 
rangement by  which  such  parents  as  were  not  in  com- 
munion with  the  church  might  enjoy  the  privilege  of 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  101 

having  their  children  baptized,  "  by  owning  the  cove- 
nant.1' 

COVENANT. 

We  whose  names  are  hereunto  subscribed,  inhabitants  of  Holden,  appre- 
hending ourselves  called  by  God,  into  the  church-state  of  the  gospel, 

Do  first  of  all  confess  ourselves  unworthy  to  be  so  highly  favored  of  the 
Lord,  and  admire  his  free  and  rich  grace  which  calls  us  hereunto  ;  and  then 
with  humble  reliance  and  entire  dependance  on  the  assistance  of  his  grace 
and  Holy  Spirit  therein  promised  for  them;  that,  in  a  sense  of  their  own  in- 
ability to  do  any  good  thing,  do  humbly  wait  upon  him  for  all;  we  do- 
thankfully  lay  hold  on  his  covenant,  and  solemnly  enter  into  covenant  with 
God  and  one  another  according  to  God. 

We  declare  our  serious  belief  of  the  christian  religion  as  contained  in 
the  sacred  scriptures,  acknowledging  them  to  contain  the  whole  revealed 
will  of  God  concerning  our  Faith  and  Practice,  heartily  resolving  to  conform 
our  lives  to  the  rules  of  that  holy  religion  as  long  as  we  live. 

We  give  up  ourselves  to  the  Lord  Jehovah,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,  the  only  true  and  living  God,  and  avouch  him  this  day  to  be 
our  God,  and  our  portion  forever. 

We  give  up  ourselves  to  the  blessed  Jesus,  who  is  the  Lord  Jehovah,  and 
adhere  to  him  as  the  Head  of  his  People  in  the  covenant  of  God,  and  rely 
upon  him  a3  our  Prophet,  our  Priest  and  our  King,  to  bring  us  unto  eternal, 
blessedness. 

We  acknowledge  our  everlasting  and  indispensable  obligation  to  glorify 
God,  in  all  the  duties  of  a  Godly,  sober,  and  righteous  life;  and  particularly 
in  the  duties  of  a  church-state,  and  a  body  of  people  associated  for  an  obe- 
dience to  him  in  all  the  ordinances  of  the  gospel,  and  we  thereupon  depend 
upon  his  gracious  assistance  for  our  faithful  discharge  of  the  duties  incum- 
bent  upon  us. 

We  engage,  with  dependence  on  his  promised  grace  and  spirit,  to  walk  to- 
gether as  a  church  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  Faith  and  order  of  the  gos- 
pel, so  far  as  we  shall  have  the  same  revealed  unto  us,  conscientiously  atten- 
ding the  worship  of  God,  in  praying  to  him,  singing  his  praises,  giving  reve- 
rent attention  to  his  word,  read  and  preached  according  to  his  institutions,, 
the  Sacraments  of  the  New  Testament,  the  discipline  of  his  Kingdom,  and 
all  his  holy  institutions,  in  connexion  one  with  another,  and  watchfully  avoid- 
ing all  sinful  stumbling-blocks  and  contentions,  as  becomes  the  Lord's  peo- 
ple in  covenant  with  him. 

At  the  same  time-,  we  do  also  present  oar  offspring  with  us  unto  the  Losdj, 


102  HTSTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

purposing  with  his  help,  to  do  our  part  in   the  method  of  a  religious  educa- 
tion, that  they  may  be  the  Lord's. 

And  all  this  we  do,  flying  to  the  Blood  of  the  Everlasting  Covenant  for 
pardon  of  our  many  errors,  and  praying  that  the  glorious  Lord  Jesus,  who 
is  the  great  shepherd,  would  prepare  and  strengthen  us  for  every  good  work, 
to  do  his  will,  working  in  us  that  which  shall  be  well  pleasing  to  him,  to 
whom  be  glory  forever  and  ever.     Amen. 

During  the  period  that  this  system  prevailed,  119  per- 
sons owned  the  covenant.  December  18, 1809,  the  follow- 
ing vote  was  passed,  "That  the  method  of  owning  the 
covenant  as  practiced  in  this  church,  should  be  laid  aside, 
none  hereafter  to  enjoy  the  privilege  of  Baptism  for  their 
children,  when  neither  of  the  parents  are  in  full  commu- 
nion; with  this  exception,  that  those  who  have  already 
owned  the  covenant  should  not  be  cut  off  from  the  priv- 
ilege they  have  possessed  heretofore." 

From  near  this  period,  a  more  cautious  and  rigid  sys- 
tem was  adopted  respecting  the  admission  of  persons  into 
the  church. 

No  articles  of  Faith  had  hitherto  been  adopted.  Janu- 
ary 4th,  1811,  it  was  voted  to  have  a  confession  of  Faith, 
and  unanimously  to  accept  of  one  drawn  up  by  the  Pas- 
tor, [Rev.  Mr.  Avery.]  But  strange  as  its  may  appear, 
if  was  not  recorded,  and  no  trace  of  it  can  now  be  found. 

The  year  1809  was  distinguished  for  the  first  general 
revival  of  religion.  The  work  extended  its  influence  to 
both  societies.  Tradition  reports  that  it  commenced 
among  the  Baptists  living  in  the  southwest  part  of  the 
town.  About  70  persons,  by  profession  united  with  the 
Cong.  Church.  The  next  general  revival  occurred  1S17, 
when  more  than  80  united  with  the  church. 

The  Rev.  Horatio  Bard  well  was  installed  as  the  junior 
Pastor  of  the  church,  Oct.  22,  1823. 

The  following  minutes  are  copied  from  the  records  of 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN*.  10 


o 


a  church-meeting  held  Jan.  3d,  1S24  : — ::  As  no  copy  of 
the  articles  of  Faith  which  this  church  have  received 
can  be  found — Voted  that  the  Pastor  be  requested  to  pre- 
pare such  articles  as  he  shall  judge  expedient :  also,  that 
he  revise  the  form  of  church  covenant,  and  present  a 
copy  of  each  at  the  next  church-meeting,  for  the  consid- 
ation  of  the  church,  and  for  their  adoption  should  they 
approve.'-' 

June  of  the  same  year,  i;at  a  full  meeting  of  the 
church  both  female  and  male,  the  ten  articles  of  Faith, 
and  the  form  of  covenant  were  harmoniously  adopted — 

Articles  of  Faith  and  Form  of  Covenant  adopted  by  tht 
Congregational  Church  in  Holden.  June.  1824. 

ARTICLES    OF    FAITH. 

1.  WE  believe  that  there  is  bat  one  God,  the  Creator,  Preserver,  and 
moral  Governor  of  the  universe;  a  Being  of  infinite  power,  wisdom,  justice, 
goodaess,  and  truth;  the  self-existent  and  immutable  fountain  of  goodness. 

2.  We  believe  that  the  scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  were 
■en  by  inspiration  of  God;  that  they  are  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  correc- 
tion, for  reproof,  and  for  instruction  in  righteousness;  and  that  ihey  are  our 
only  rule  of  doctrinal  belief  and  religious  practice. 

We  believe  that  the  scriptures  teach  that  the  mode  of  divine  exis- 
tence is  such,  as  lays  a  foundation  for  the  threefold  distinction,  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost;  and  that  these  three  are  one  in  essence,  and  equal  in  power 
and  glory. 

4.  We  believe  that  God  at  first  created  man  in  a  state  of  moral  rectitude  - 
that  be  voluntarily  disobeyed  the  law  of  his  Maker,  and  thereby  fell  into  a 
state  of  sin  and  death;  and  that,  in  consequence  of  this  first  apostacy,  the 
hearts  of  all  men  are  by  nature  entirely  destitute  of  holiness;  and  so  far  as 
they  are  capable  of  moral  action,  they  are  in  a  state  of  positive  disaffection 
with  the  law,  character,  and  government  of  God. 

•3.  We  believe  that  Jesus  Christ,  by  his  obedience,  sufferings  and  death, 
made  atonement  for  sin;  that  he  is  the  only  Redeemer  of  sinners;  and  that 
all  those  who  are  saved  will  be  wholly  indebted  to  the  grace  and  mercy  of 
God,  for  their  salvation. 

6.     We   believe  that  although  the  invitation   of  the  gospel  is  such,  that 


104  HISTORY    OF   HOLDEN. 

whosoever  will  may  come  and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely,  yet  the 
wickedness  of  the  human  heart  is  such,  that  no  man  will  come  to  Christ, 
except  the  Father  draw  him. 

7.  We  believe  that  those  who  embrace  Christ  by  a  living  faith,  will  never 
finally  perish  ;  but  in  fulfilment  of  God's  eternal  purpose  of  grace,  by  which 
they  were  chosen  in  Christ,  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  He  will  ena- 
ble them  to  persevere  to  the  end. 

8.  We  believe  that  there  will  be  a  general  resurrection  of  the  bodies 
both  of  the  just  and  of  the  unjust;  that  all  must  appear  before  the  judgment- 
seat  of  Christ,  to  receive  a  just  and  final  sentence  of  retribution,  according 
to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body;  and  that  at  this  day  of  judgment,  the  state 
of  all  will  be  unalterably  fixed;  and  that  the  happiness  of  the  righteous  and 
the  punishment  of  the  wicked  will  be  endless. 

9.  We  believe  that  Christ  has  a  visible  Church  in  the  world,  into  which, 
none  in  the  sight  of  God  but  real  believers,  and  none  in  the  sight  of  man 
but  visible,  have  a  right  of  admission. 

10.  We  believe  that  the  Sacraments  of  the  New  Testament  are  Baptism 
and  Lord's  Supper;  and  that  visible  believers  only  havea  right  of  admission 
to  the  Lord's  Supper  ;  and  that  they  and  their  households  are  the  only  proper 
subjects  to  whom  baptism  is  to  be  administered. 


COVENANT. 

You  do  now,  in  the  presence  of  God  and  man,  avouch  the  Lord  Jehovah, 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  to  be  your  God — the  object  of  your  supreme 
love,  and  your  portion  forever.  You  cordially  acknowledge  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  as  your  only  Savior,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  as  your  Sanctifier,  Comforter 
and  Guide.  You  humbly  and  cheerfully  devote  yourself  to  God,  in  the 
coveuant  of  grace.  You  consecrate  yourself  and  all  you  possess  to  his  ser- 
vice and  glory  ;  and,  through  the  help  of  divine  grace,  you  promise  that  you 
will  deny  all  ungodliness  and  every  worldly  lust — that  you  will  live  soberly, 
righteously  and  godly,  even  unto  death. 

You  do  now  cordially  join  yourself  to  this  Church  of  Christ,  engaging  to 
submit  to  its  discipline,  and  to  attend  on  its  worship  and  ordinances,  accor- 
ding to  the  rules  of  the  gospel  ;  and  that  you  will  walk  with  its  members  in 
Christian  love,  watchfulness  and  purity.  Thus  you  covenant,  promise,  and 
engage. 

We  do  now,  as  a  Church  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  receive  you  into  our 
communion,  and  promise  to  watch  over  you  with  Christian  tenderness 
and  affection*  ever  treating  you  in  love,  as  a  member  of  the  body  of  Christ. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  105 

This  we  do,  imploring  of  the  great  Shepherd  of  Israel,  that  both  we  and  you 
may  have  wisdom  and  grace  to  be  faithful  in  his  covenant,  and  glorify  him 
with  that  holiness  of  life  which  becomes  his  house  forever. — Amen. 


In  1825,  an  unusual  attention  was  paid  to  religion, 
and    about  30  joined  the  church. 

The  autumn  of  1829,  and  beginning  of  1830,  was  mark- 
ed by  a  most  extensive  and  powerful  work  of  grace. 
Both  societies  shared  its  blessed  influence.  About  150 
united  with  the  Cong.  Church. 

In  1831,  there  was  a  revival  bringing  about  20  into 
the  church.  The  Spring  of  1834,  some  families  in  the 
north  part  of  the  town,  and  the  adjoining  part  of  Prince- 
ton, were  unusually  awakened  to  the  subject  of  religion. 
During  the  autumn  of  1835,  there  was  uncommon  reli- 
gious interest,  as  the  results  of  which,  about  twenty  uni- 
ted with  the  church.  In  the  Spring  of  1838,  about 
twenty  expressed  a  hope  of  having  experienced  a  saving 
change,  most  of  whom  have  since  united  with  the  church. 
The  winter  of  1840-41,  was  greatly  distinguished  for  a 
spirit  of  engagedness  on  the  part  of  professors,  and  of 
anxious  inquiry  among  persons  not  members  of  the 
church.  Thirty  have  already  united  with  the  church, 
and  it  is  believed  many  more  will  feel  it  to  be  their  duty 
and  privilege  to  enter  into  solemn  covenant  with  God. 

The  present  number  belonging  to  the  church  is  about 
four  hundred  and  thirty,  nearly  two-thirds  of  whom 
have  been  received  within  twelve  years.  There  is  but 
a  single  member  of  the  church  now  living  whose  mem- 
bership commenced  last  century.  This  individual  is 
Mrs.  Mary  Avery,  the  wife  of  the  second  pastor  of  this 
church     Her  connection  commenced  in  1776. 


106  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

PASTORS  OF  THE  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH. 

Rev.  Joseph  Davis.     {See  Address.) 

The  following  inscription  is  copied  from  his  grave-stone: 

This  monument  is  erected  in 

memory  of  the  Revd  JOSEPH  DAVIS, 

who  was  born  at  Concord  July  16 

1720,  ordained  first  Pastor  of 

the  Church  in  Holden  Deer  22d  1742, 

where  he  labored  many  years  in 

the  work  of  Gospel  Ministry. 
He  was  the  man  of  science  and  a 
zealous,  pungent  Preacher.     The  affec- 
tionate husband.     The  tender  parent. 
The  kind  neighbor,  and  the  cordial 
friend.     Died  March  4th  1779." 

A  strong  and  animated  faith  in  the  truth 
of  the  gospel  was  the  great  solace  and 
anchor  of  his  soul. 

Rev.  Joseph  Avery.     {See  Address.) 

The  following  inscription  is  copied  from  his  grave-stone: 

SACRED 

to  the  memory  of 

the  Revd  JOSEPH  AVERY, 

who  was  born  at  Dedham 

A.  D.  1751. 

GRADUATED 

at  Harvard  University  1771. 

ORDAINED 

Pastor  of  the  Church  of  Christ 

in  Holden  Deer  1774. 

With    sweetness  of   disposition 

and  ministerial  faithfulness 

he  united 

an  uncommon  share  of  prudence 

and  wisdom. 

After  near  fifty  years 

of  laborious   service    as    a   minister 

of  the  gospel  in  this  place,  he 

rested  from  his  labors 

March    5,    1824, 

Aged  72  years. 

"Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord." 

Rev.  Horatio  Bardwell.  He  was  born  at  Belcher- 
town,  Nov.  3,  1788.  A.  M.  Dart.  Coll.  1814.  Andover 
Theo.  Sem.  1814.     Missionary  in  India  under  the  Amer- 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


107 


ican  Board  six  years.  Installed  as  Junior  Pastor  of  this 
church  Oct.  22,  1S23.  Dismissed,  Spring,  1833.  At 
present  Pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  Oxford. 

Rev.  William  P.  PArNE.  He  was  born  at  Ashfield,  Aug. 
1,  1S02.  Entered  Am.  Coll.  1S23.  A.  B.  1827  and  A.  M. 
1S30.  Tutor  at  Amherst  College  one  year,  1S30.  Grad- 
uated at  Andover  Theo.  Sem.  1832.  Settled  in  Holden 
Oct.  24,  1S33. 

Married  to  Miss  Sarah  Mack,  of  Plainfield,  Mass., 
June  9,  1834. 


DEACONS. 

*  William  Nichols,  chosen  January  13,  1743. 


*  Samuel  Pierce, 

c 

u             tt           tt 

*  Joseph  Hubbard, 

a 

August  6,  1755. 

*  David  Fisk, 

tt 

March  31,  1762. 

*  Noah  Haven, 

u 

April  2,  17S3. 

*  Israel  Davis, 

a 

July  31,  1793. 

*  Elisha  Hubbard, 

it 

a        a        it 

Peter  Rice, 

a 

June  1,  1S10. 

*  Seth  Clapp, 

a 

a      it       u 

*  Joshua  Fairbanks, 

tt 

i 

April  3,  ISIS. 

*  Isaac  Fisk, 

tt 

it         it        a 

Silas  Flagg, 

c< 

September  30,  1S25, 

John  Lovell, 

it 

ti              a         a 

Silas  M.  Hubbard, 

it 

March  1,  1839. 

*  Deceased. 

10S 

BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

The  records  of  the  Baptist  church  and  Society  do  not 
bear  an  earlier  date,  than  the  present  century.  Tradi- 
tion reports  that  Mr.  John  Perry,  living  upon  the  farm 
known  as  the  Perry  farm,  was  the  first  person  of  this 
denomination  belonging  to  the  town.  The  records  of  the 
town  partially  confirm  the  voice  of  tradition.  An  arti- 
cle was  inserted  in  the  warrant  for  the  town  meeting,  to 
be  held  May  5th,  1788,  "  To  see  if  the  town  will  answer 
the  petition  of  Mr.  John  Perry  and  others  of  the  Baptis 
belonging  to  said  Hold  en."  The  vote  of  the  town  in 
reference  to  this  article  reads  as  follows  :  u  Voted  not 
to  allow  the  petition  of  Mr.  John  Perry  and  others  of  the 
Baptis  belonging  to  Holden."  From  other  records  upon 
the  town  books  it  appears,  that  this  petition  related  to 
the  abatement  of  taxes,  to  be  raised  for  the  support  of  the 
Established  Church. 

The  records  of  the  Society  commence  Monday,  June 
4, 1S04.  Ephraim  Mirrick  was  chosen  Moderator.  John 
Hubbard,  Clerk.  Asa  Howe,  Collector.  And  Ephraim 
Mirrick  associate  deacon,  when  no  deacon  was  present 
from  Templeton.  The  Rev.  Elisha  Andrews,  Pastor 
of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Templeton,  preached  in  town 
for  some  years  before  a  church  was  organized.  Baptist 
church  members  here  were  regarded  as  a  branch  church 
of  the  Bapt.  ch.  in  Templeton. 

Mr.  Andrews  was  a  man  of  uncommon  talents,  as  a 
preacher,  although  having  never  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  a  public  education.  He  is  reported  to  have  been  re- 
markably happy,  in  the  expository  style  of  preaching. 
In  1805,  he  preached  every  fifth  Sabbath,  and  1S0S  every 
fourth  Sabbath. 

March  12,  1809  it  was  voted,  that  Bro.    Gates  take 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  1(713 

the  lead  of  the  meeting  2   Sundays,  and   Bro.  Allen  one, 
in  the  absence  of  Mr.  Andrews." 

Oct.  22,    1807.     Voted   i:  to  send  a    letter   and  request 
to  be  dismissed  from  the  church  in  Templeton   and 
formed  into  a  separate  church," 

The   minutes  of  the  organization  of  the  Bap.  church 
follow  entire. 

"  Holden  Dec.   31    1S07.     At  an  Ecclesiastical    Coun- 
cil, holden  at  the  dwelling  house  of  Brother    Abrahi. 
Gates.     [David  Parminter,  present  owner.] 

Present. — From  Harvard — Elder  George  Robinson, 
Dea.  Ephraim  Emerson,  Charles  Chase,  Jeremiah  Dyer 

From  Leverett — Elder  Elijah  Montague,  Peter  Ripley, 

From  Sutton — Elder  Samuel  Waters,  Dea.  Moses  Put- 
nam, Solomon  Marble,  and  Jonah  Golding. 

A  moderator  and  clerk  were  chosen  and  after  solemn 
prayer,  by  the  Moderator,  proceeded  to  business.  After 
mature  deliberation  and  careful  examination  the  Council 
voted  unanimously  to  constitute  into  a  distinct  church, 
the  following  Brothers  and  Sisters,  viz  : — Aaron  Perry, 
Ephraim  Mirrick,'Hezekiah  Walker,  Abraham  Gates,  John 
Hubbard,  Solomon  Parminter,  Asa  Howe,  Silas  Walker, 
Charles  Brooks,  Eli  Hubbard,  Benj.  Hubbard,  Jotham 
Howe,  Thomas  Howe,  Samuel  Abbott,  John  Walker, 
Paul  Colburn,  Thomas  Marshall,  Daniel  Shepard, 
Pelatiah  Allen,  John  Brown,  William  Everett,  Polly  Sar- 
gent, Lydia  Parminter,  Lydia  Hubbard,  Mehitabel  Col- 
burn, Hannah  Howe,  Sally  Howe,  Polly  Walker,  Lydia 
Parminter,  jr.,  Polly  Hubbard,  Elenor  Howe,  Polly  Hen- 
ry, Lucretia  Howe,  Nancy  Brooks,  Polly  Buck,  Patty 
Caldwell,  Sarah  Pratt,  Sarah  Mason,  Rachel  Walker, 
Dorothy  Howe,  Tabitha  Perry,  Thankful  Mason,  Lucy 
Walker,  Eunice  Metcalf,  Judith  Gates,  Persis  Walker, 
and  Nabby  Shepard. 

10 


110  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

And  the  said  Brothers  when  constituted  into  a  church 
aforesaid,  shall  be  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  in  Holden. 
Voted  that  the  Moderator  of  the  Council  give  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship,  to  the  aforesaid  Brethern  in  token  of 
our  Fellowship  with  them  as  a  church  in  Sister  rela- 
tion. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  Council, 

George  Robinson,  Mod. 
Elisha  Andrews,  Scribe." 

Articles  of  Faith. 

1.  We  believe  there  is  one  God,  who  is  a  spirit  eter- 
nally the  same.  A  Being  infinitely  holy,  just,  and  good, 
filling  all  space  with  His  goodness ;  essentially  happy  in 
the'possession  of  himself.  John  4  :  24.  Deut.  6  :  4.  Ps. 
•90:  2.  Gen.  17:   1.  Ps.  1*5:  3. 

2.  That  he  has  revealed  himself  in  his  word  to  be 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit  in  which  word  He  hath 
given  us  a  perfect  rule  of  Faith,  and  Practice.  1  John 
5  :  7.  Matt.  28 :  19.  2  Cor.  13  :    14.  John  1  •  14,  and  18 : 

15.  26.  Gal.  4 :  6.  2  Tim.  3 :  15.  16.  Gal.  18:9. 

3.  We  believe  that  God  did  in  the  beginning  create 
worlds  and  beings  by  the  word  of  his  power,  and  doth  up- 
hold the  same :  that  he  created  man  holy,  but  man  did 
willingly  rebel,  and  transgress  the  law  of  his  Creator,  and 
thereby  has  lost  his  moral  rectitude  and  has  become  sin- 
ful in  all  his  parts,  both  of  soul  and  body,  and  his  pos- 
terity have  by  natural  generation  derived  the  same  sin- 
ful dispositions  and  have  become  by  nature  the  servants 
of  sin,  and  subjects  of  temporal  and  eternal  death,  and 
that  God  by  his  kind  providence  doth  overrule  all  events 
for  his  own  glory.     John  1  :  1.  2.  3.  Rom.  1 :  20.  Col  1  : 

16.  Gen.  2  : 1.  2.  Heb.  1 :  3.  Isa.  46  :  10.  11.  Ps.  13:  5.  6. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  Ill 

Gen.  1:  17.  Eccle.  7:  29.  Gen.  1  :  27.  and  3:  12.  13. 
2  Cor.  11:3.  1  Tim.  2  :  14.  Rom.  3  :  23.  and  5  :  12.  Titus 
1:15.  Gen.  6:  5.  Jere.  17  :  9.  and  6  :  17.  20.  23.  Heb. 
2  :  4.  Hosea.  1 :  6.  7.  Isa.  25  chap. 

4.  We  believe  that  man  being  thus  dead,  his  recovery 
is  only  in  God,  and  that  by  his  eternal  purpose  of  Election 
did  choose  a  number  in  Christ  to  eternal  Salvation,  and 
that  Christ  did  in  the  fulness  of  time  take  on  him  human 
nature,  (sin  only  excepted)  lived  a  holy  life,  died  an  ac- 
cursed death  on  the  cross,  was  buried,  rose,  accended 
[and]  ever  livith  to  make  intercession,  for  us.  Hosea,. 
13  :  9.  Eph.  1  :  4.  1  Pe.  1 :  2.  2  John  1  :  14.  Rom.  8  :  3. 
Heb.  2  :  14.  15.  16.  17.  and  7  :  26.  Gal.  3 :  13.  Luke 
23:  53.  and  24:  6.  Acts  1  :  9. 

5.  We  believe  that  the  Holy  spirit  of  God  proceeding 
from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  only  can  and  doth  make 
particular  application  of  the  merits  of  Christ  to  every  elect 
soul,  and  that  he  hath  by  the  same  Spirit  convinced  us 
of  our  lost,  sinful,  and  undone  condition  and  gives  us 
grace  to  believe  in  Christ,  who  is  made  of  God  unto  us, 
wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctiflcation  and  eternal  redemp- 
tion.    John  16  :  7.  13.  14. 

6.  We  believe  that  the  life  of  religion  consists  in  the 
knowledge  of  God.  and  conformity  to  him  in  the  inward 
man,  which  necessarily  produces  an  external  conformity 
to  his  laws  and  ordinances  and  union  and  fellowship  one 
with  another.     John.  17  :  3.  Eph.  3  :  10. 

7.  We  believe  that  baptism  and  the  Lordrs  supper  are 
institutions  of  Christ  to  be  continued  till  his  second  com-, 
ing  and  that  the  former  is  requisite  to  the  latter,  that  is, 
such  only  are  to  be  admitted  to  the  communion  of  the 
church  as  have  on  profession  of  their  faith,  been  baptised 
by  immersion.  Matt.  28 :  19.  Mark  16  :  15.  16.  Acts  8  : 
36.  37.  38.  Rom.  6 :  3.  4.     1.  Cor.  11  :  23.  21. 


112  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

8.  We  believe  that  the  sole  government  of  the  chh.  is 
in  Christ  and  that  it  is  he  and  he  only  that  can  qualify 
and  send  forth  laborers  into  his  vineyard  ;  and  doth  call 
his  chh.  into  the  kingdom  of  his  grace  and  by  his  spirit 
doth  gather  them  in  particular  churches  ;  and  hath  given 
them  power  under  him  to  govern  their  own  members. 
Jsa.  9  :  6.  Gal,  1  :  12.  15.  16:  Rom.  8 :  30.  Ezek.  34  :  11. 
Eph.  2  :  17.  Acts  26:  18.  Rev.  3:  7.  Heb.  3:  7.  Eph.  2  : 
19.  22.  Mat.  16  :  9.  John  20 :  23. 

9.  We  believe  that  brethren  in  christ  ought  not  to  go 
to  law  one  with  another.  1  Cor.  6  :  1 — 7. 

10.  We  believe  that  a  Bishop  or  Elder  by  virtue  of  or- 
dination hath  no  right  to  be  moderator  or  scribe  of  the 
chh.  or  to  claim  or  exercise  any  more  power  in  the  gov- 
vernment  of  the  chh.  than  any  private  brother,  from  the 
nature  of  his  office  as  described  in  scripture.^  Matt.  28  : 
19.  20.  Mark  16:  15.  16.  1  Tim.  4:  12.  16.  2  Tim  4 :  2. 
1  Pe.  1  :  2.  3. 

December  17,  1810— The  chh.   "  voted  $20,00   a  year 

for  5  years,  to  Thomas  Marshall  for  the  use  of  his  shed 
chamber,  to  meet  in,  for  worship." 

Mr.  Marshall  lived  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Far- 
mer White  in  Eagleville. 

"  Aug.  30.  1812.  Bro.  Marshall  consented  to  preach  one 
half  of  the  time." 

In  1813,  Mr.  Andrews  preached  1-8  part  of  the  time, 
and  during  the  same  year,  such  members  of  the  chh.  as 
belonged  to-Sterling  and  West  Boylston  withdrew  to  form 
a  church. 

Thomas  Marshall  was  ordained  Sept.  15.  1813. 

Number  of  members  in  the  chh.  at  different  periods.. 


*  This  article  has  subsequently  undergone  some  modification. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  l'j 


Admission. 

Number. 

Admission. 

Number. 

1S11 

96 

1826 

134 

Aug.  1820 

161 

1830 

162 

1821 

171 

May.  1833 

151 

1822 

111* 

Aug.  1S35 

16S 

1823 

112 

1836 

176 

1S24 

115 

1838 

221 

1525 

145 

1340 

200 

rT"M 


The  first  Baptist  Meeting-House  was  built  1S19 — 20, 
The  building  has  since  been  refitted  for  a  dwelling-house. 

The  Society  was  organized  agreeably  to  the  laws  of  the 
Commonwealth,  March  15,  1S28. 

No  person  regarded  as  member  of  the  society  who  does 
not  pay  annually  the  sum  of  $1.00  or  more  into  the  trea- 
sury. 

;;  Feb.  16.  1838.  Voted  to  build  a  new  meeting  house," 
which  was  dedicated  Jan.  1836.  In  the  year  1S39  Mr. 
Willard  M:  Hubbard  died,  leaving  $1000  to  the  society. 
The  interest  of  $400  lo  be  paid  for  the  maintenance  of 
singing  and  of  the  remaining  $600.  for  the  support  of  the 
ospel. 


Pastors  of  the  Baptist  Chh.  in  Hclden. 

1.  Rev.  Elisha  Andrews. — see  history  of  the  Chh. 

2.  Rev.  Thomas  Marshall  preached  during  the  years 
intervening  between,  1S13  and  1818. 

CJ  7 

3.  Rev.  John  Walker.  Mr.  Walker  was  born  May 
20,  1789.  (His  father  resided  in  the  north  part  of  Hoi-, 
ilen.)  The  early  part  of  his  life  was  passed  upon  his 
father's  farm.  During  the  autumn  of  1804,  his  mind  be- 
came interested  in  the  subject  of  personal  religion,  and  in 
March,  1805,  he  made  a  public  profession  of  his  faith   in 

( Jhrist.  In  Oct.  1812,  commenced  preaching,  licensed  Aug 


*  65  had  been  dismissed  who  belonged  to  Leominister,  Princeton  &< 

10* 


1 1  4  HISTORY    OF    HOLDENi 

2,  1813 ;  ordained  Oct.  30,  1816.  and  Feb.  2,  1818,  was 
recognized  as  Pastor  of  the  chh  :  which  relation  contin- 
ued until  April  1, 1831. 

Mr.  Walker,  soon  after  his  dismission  removed  to  West 
Sutton,  where  be  labored  in  the  work  of  the  gospel  min- 
istry until  April,  1836.  From  a  letter  addressed,  by  Mr. 
Walker  to  the  compiler,  the  following  is  an  extract.  "  I. 
took  up  my  Pastoral  relation  [West  Sutton]  with  an 
expectation  of  emigrating  to  the  far  west !  but  a  long 
uid  tedious  journey  of  nearly  4,000  miles  satisfied  me 
that  my  constitution  would  not  bear  the  climate.  My  la- 
bors commenced  with  the  first  Baptist  chh.  in  Barre,  in 
October,  1836.  My  Pastoral  relation,  in  Nov.  of  the  same 
year.  About  200  were  added  by  baptism  to  the  chh. 
in  Holden  and  its  branches  while  my  ministry  continued 
there,  and  I  have  been  privileged  to  baptize  over  fifty  up- 
on a  creditable  evidence  of  their  faith  in  a  risen  Savior 
during  my  relation  with  the  chh.  in  West  Sutton  and  in 
this  place." 

I.  Rev.  Appleton  Belnap,  was  ordained  to  the   work 

of  gospel  ministry  and  Pastor   of  the  Bapt.  chh.  in  Hol- 

i  at,  June  13,    1832.     He  preached  his  last   sermon  in 

town  Oct.  27,  1833,  having  relinquished,  the  duties  of  a 

Castor  to  continue  his  theological  studies. 

5.  Rev.  George  Waters,  was  ordained  Pastor  of  the 
$hh.  Sept.  25,  1834,  and  resigned  his. office  here,  March 
31,  1838.  He  is  now  settled  over  the  Bap.  chh.  inSterling. 

6.  Rev.  Samuel  Everett,  recognised  as  Pastor  of  the 
chh.  Aug.  9,.  1S3S,  and  dismissed  April  19,  1S39. 

7.  Rev.  Andrew  Pollard,  is  the  present  Pastor  of  the 
'lurch.     He  is  a  native  of  Harvard,  Mass.     For  a  time 

he  was  Pastor  of  the  Bap.  chh.  South  Gardner.     He  was 
m stalled  here,  Aug.  12, 1840. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  115 

GENTLEMEN'S    AND    LADIES'    MISSIONARY 

ASSOCIATION. 

The  object  of  this  Association  is  to  collect  money 
which  may  aid  the  operations  of  the  American  Board  of 
Com.  for  Foreign  Missions.  It  was  established  in  1824, 
by  the  active  exertions  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bardwell.  Col- 
lectors are  annually  appointed  to  solicit  subscriptions 
from  all  persons  disposed  to  favor  the  object  of  Foreign 
Missions.  This  Association  is  Auxiliary  to  the  Worces- 
ter Co.  Central  Missionary  Association. 

The  collections  taken  at  the  Monthly  Concert  pass  to 
the  treasury  of  the  American  Board  through  the  officers 
of  this  Society. 

The  following  sums  have  been  contributed  during  the 
last  ten  years: 


A.  D. 

Gentlemen's  Association. 

Ladies'  Association 

Month.  Concert. 

1831 

$161  40 

$105  00 

$.  75  33 

1832 

137  7.5 

96  00 

127  35 

1833 

90  09 

81  62 

123  45 

1834 

106  63 

82  30 

86  17 

1835 

85  12 

71  40 

125  73 

1836 

104  72 

81  50 

74  60 

1837 

153  48 

105  81 

117  71 

1838 

96  09 

77  85 

85  06 

1839 

89  52 

77  00 

79  79 

1840 

186  56 

136  84 

88  58 

$1211  51' 

$915  32 

$983  77 
Total,  $3110  60 

The  average  annual  amount  contributed  by  the  Con- 
gregational Church  and  Society,  for  Foreign  Missions, 
during  the  last  ten  years,  is  $311  06. 

Note.  The  above  statistical  account  of  the  annual 
contributions  for  the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions,  will  in- 
dicate   the   exertions   usually   made   by  the  citizens  of 


116  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

Holden,  in  behalf  of  such  objects  as  are  worthy  the  con- 
sideration of  an  enlightened  and  Christian  community. 

The  compiler  has  not  the  materials  necessary  to  make 
a  fair  and  average  account  of  the  annual  contributions 
in  aid  of  the  Bible.  Tract,  Education  and  other  benevo- 
lent Societies. 


.. 


JUDAH  WRIGHT. 

At  the   Centennial  Celebration    a    hymn    was  sung. 

composed  by  Mr.  Judah  Wright,  a  venerable  citizen  of 
Holden,  seventy  years  of  age,  suffering  under  the  infirmi- 
tv  of  blindness  from  infancy."*: 

Some  reader  of  these  pages  may  be  desirous  of  ac- 
quiring additional  information  respecting  the  blind  man 
who  wrote  those  verses. 

Mr.  Wright  is  a  native  of  Holden,  and  was  born  April 
1.  1774.  His  father  then  lived  upon  the  farm  now 
owned  by  Mr.  Timothy  Parker.  He  was  deprived  of 
sight  in  infancy,  in  consequence  of  a  disease  of  the  eye, 
called  the  cataract. 

His  father  died  when  he  was  about  twelve  years 
of  a^e.  and  his  mother  was  left  with  slender  means  of 
support.  For  many  years  she  was  dependent  upon  her 
blind  son  Judah.  who  was  able  to  obtain  a  comfortable 
livelihood  for  himself  and  widowed  mother,  by  making 
baskets.  The  trade  of  basket  making  and  a  kindred 
employment,  bottoming  chairs,  he  has  laboriously  pursued 
through  a  long  life. 

lie  has  ever  exhibited  an  intense  desire  to  acquire 
knowledge.     It  may  be  confidently  asserted  that  few  per- 

*  See  page  6. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  11? 

sons  have  been  better  acquainted  with  the  passing  events 
of  the  age.  Mr.  Paul  Davis,  (who  lived  upon  the  Land- 
lord Paxil  Davis's  hill.)  for  nineteen  years,  was  accus- 
tomed to  read  the  Massachusetts  Spy  to  Mr.  Wright. 

The  compiler  heard  him  make  the  remark,  that  "  du- 
ring that  long  period,  nineteen  weeks  were  not  omitted. 
Mr.  Davis  would  begin  and  read  the  paper  through  "  like 
a  book/'  omitting  only  a  few  advertisements.  It  was 
often  my  practice  to  bottom  a  chair  while  the  paper  was 
read.'' 

The  years  intervening  between  1801 — 6.  Mr  Wright 
humorously  styles  as  his  Collegiate  Course.  Daring  this 
period  he  often  visited  the  family  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Avery, 
whose  amiable  and  accomplished  daughters  were  ever 
ready  to  assist  a  noble  mind  struggling  with  difficulties. 
They  exhibited  the  treasures  of  their  father's  library  to 
the  view  of  their  sightless  visitor.  Numerous  persons 
have  been  found  who  have  kindly  rendered  him  similar 
aid,  and  some  have  acted  as  his  amanuenses.  For  the 
aid  thus  rendered,  he  expresses  the  most  unfeigned 
gratitude. 

His  theological  and  historical  reading  is  quite  exten- 
sive. He  was  lately  heard  to  remark,  ';  I  don't  think 
much  of  making  baskets  only  to  make  them  :  my  thoughts 
are  generally  occupied  upon  theological  subjects,  or  the 
history  of  the  world."  In  conversation,  he  exhibits  a 
familiar  acquaintance  with  the  best  English  poets. 

In  1812  he  published  a  pamphlet  entitled  "Poems  vt- 
on  various  subjects,"  and  in  1S23,  "  Aloxzo's  Dream  :  or 
an  Allegorical  representation  of  the  light  in  which  faults 
and  misfortunes  are  frequently  viewed  Inj  the  unthinking 
part  of  mankind''' 

The  following  are  selections  from  his  printed  and 
manuscript  productions  : 


113  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

THE    BLIND    MAN. 

Though  darkness  still  attends  me, 
It  aids  internal  sight. 

And  from  such  scenes  defends  me, 
As  blush  to  see  the  light. 

No  villain's  smiles  decieve  me  ; 

No  gilded  fop  offends  ; 
No  weeping  object  grieves  me  ; 

Kind  darkness  me  befriends. 

Who  painted  vice  desires; 

Is  blind,  whate'erhe  thinks; 
Who  virtue  not  admires, 

Is  either  blind  or  winks, 

Then  hence  these  useless  railings  ; 

I  know  no  reason  why — 
Mankind  to  their  own  failings 

Are  all  as  blind  as  I. 


ON   SPRING. 

Hail!  joyful  Spring,  at  thy  return, 
The  fields  and  forests  cease  to  mourn; 

All  nature  bids  thee  welcome  here: 
The  northern  winds  and  snowy  squalls 
Forbear  to  blow,  or  cease  to  fall; 

And  hills  long  covered  now  appear. 

The  sun  dissolves  the  ice  and  snow ; 
The  streams  their  channels  overflow, 

To  cheer  and  fertilize  the  soil: 
The  trees  assume  their  summer  garbs — 
The  earth  bedeck'd  with  flowers  and  herbs, 

On  all  her  children  seems  to  smile. 

The  cattle  from  the  barn  releas'd, 
Partake  of  a  delicious  feast; 

The  playful  lamb,  and  sprightly  calf— » 
The  stately  ox,  and  bounding  steed, 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  119 

In  flow'ry  pastures  sport  and  feed, 
And  from  the  chrystal  fountains  quaff. 

The  feather'd  songsters  now  return, 
And  join  to  usherjn  each  morn 

With  music  in  harmonious  lays; 
With  joy  through  fields  and  groves  they  fly. 
Each  with  the  other  seems  to  vie, 

In  chanting  their  Creator's  praise. 

While  beasts  and  birds  with  insects  join, 
To  praise  munificence  divine: 

Let  man  the  lord  of  all  below, 
According  to  his  station  raise, 
The  sacred  song  of  solemn  praise, 

To  him  from  whom  all  blessings  flow, 

The  plants  and  trees  in  gayest  bloom, 
To  beauty  add  a  sweet  perfume; 

And  form  delightful  walks  and  bowers, 
Protected  from  the  scorching  heat, 
Where  friends  and  lovers  fondly  meet, 

And  sweetly  pass  their  leisure  hours. 

The  meads  with  grass  and  flowers  adorned— 
The  verdant  woods  and  fields  of  corn — 

The  flocks  and  herds  upon  the  plain: 
Meandering  streams  and  purling  rills. 
Descending  from  adjacent  hills, 

Conspire  to  beautify  the  scene. 


ON    THE    MILLENNIUM, 

Alas!  to  what  a  wretched  case 

Has  sin  reduced  the  human  race! 

This  world  though  once  pronounced  good, 

By  sin  became  a  field  of  blood. 

Ambition,  pleasure,  lust  and  pride, 
With  avarice  our  time  divide  ; 


120  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

Reserving  none  for  us  to  spend, 
In  duties  to  our  God  or  men. 

But  for  our  comfort  we're  informed, 
A  lasting  calm  succeeds  the  storm. 
Events  foretell  the  time  is  near, 
When  these  dark  scenes  shall  disappear. 

When  Satan's  power  shall  be  restrained, 
And  peace  on  earth  in  triumph  reign, 
The  righteous  then  shall  here  enjoy, 
True  happiness  without  alloy. 

Religion  then  shall  be  refined, 

From  error  freed  in  lustre  shine: 

The  Jewish  outcasts  gather 'd  in, 

And  Own,  with  Gentiles,  Christ  their  king. 

Impostures  and  idolatry 
Shall  cease,  and  Christians  all  agree; 
The  young  and  old,  with  one  accord, 
Delight  to  serve  and  please  the  Lord. 

Those  weapons  which  have  long  destroy'd. 
The  human  race,  shall  be  employ'd 
To  cultivate  a  fruitful  soil, 
And  plenty  shall  reward  their  toil. 

The  fertile  plains  shall  be  no  more 
DelugM  with  floods  of  human  gore; 
For  war  throughout  the  world  shall  ceases 
And  this  creation  live  in  peace. 

The  cow,  the  bear,  the  wolf  and  sheep, 
Together  safely  feed  and  sleep; 
Their  young  ones  shall  lie  down  at  rest5 
The  strong  shall  not  the  weak  molest. 

A  little  child  shall  also  lead 
The  leopard,  fatling,  calf  and  kid  ; 
And  play  with  safety  near  the  den, 
Where  pois'nous  serpents  lurk  within. 

For  none  shall  injure  or  destroy, 
But  all  promote  each  other's  joy  ; 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  121 

For  true  benevolence  and  grace, 
Shall  actuate  the  human  race. 

The  weak  no  more  the  strong  shall  dread, 
And  knowledge  shall  the  earth  o'er^pread, 
As  waters  fill  the  spacious  seas, 
And  gladness  fill  each  heart  with  praise. 


ON    DRUNKENNESS. 
(1812.) 
Oh!  how  disgusting  is  the  sight, 

When  drunkards  reeling  through  the  street, 
In  laughter  fawn  or  anger  fight, 
And  pour  contempt  on  all  they  meet. 


If  ardent  spirits  fail  at  home, 

To  shops  or  taverns  they  repair, 
And  drink  till  sense  and  strength  are  gone; 

Then  reeling  homeward  bound  they  steer. 

But  injured  limbs  and  bruised  heads 

Forbid  them  farther  to  proceed, 
The  open  street  becomes  their  bed; 

This  is  a  dismal  sight  indeed. 

Exposed  to  danger,  here  they  sleep 

Until  their  faculties  revive; 
And  then  with  slow  and  awkward  steps, 

At  length  each  at  his  home  arrives. 

With  clothes  besmear'd  with  filth  and  mud, 
See  how  they  shiver  with  the  cold! 

Their  faces  bruis'd  and  stain'd  with  blood, 
What  horrid  figures  to  behold! 

Bat  oh!  the  feelings  of  a  wife, 

Whose  heart  is  pierc'd  with  sorrow  through, 
To  see  her  dearest  friend  in  life, 

Himself  and  family  undo. 

But  her  entreaties,  tears  and  sighs, 
Will  not  his  vicious  heart  restrain: 

11 


122  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

In  vain  his  neighbors  all  advise; 
He  feels  no  sense  of  sin  or  shame. 

His  children,  wearied  with  abuse, 
Provok'd  and  driven  to  despair; 

Of  freedom  make  improper  use, 
And  soon  forget  to  love  or  fear. 

At  length  the  wretched  man  becomes 
A  burden  to  himself  and  friends; 

Yet  still  this  sinful  race  he  runs, 
Till  like  a  brute  his  life  he  ends. 

Ye  who  indulge  your  appetite, 

And  laws  of  temp'rance  daily  break, 

Take  warning  by  this  awful  sight: 
May  you  this  fatal  snare  escape. 

Will  you  destroy  yourselves  and  friends- 
Exchange  vour  honor  for  disgrace — 

Expose  yourselves  to  endless  pains, 
And  all  to  gratify  your  taste? 

Poor  are  the  pleasures  which  you  gain 
At  such  a  vast  expense  as  this; 

For  hours  of  pleasure,  years  of  pain, 
If  not  the  loss  of  future  bliss. 


A  lady  once  asked  Mr.  Wright  "  if  he  could  exercise 
as  strong  affection  for  others  as  though  he  could  see 
diem?"     In  a  few  days  he  made  the  following  reply: 

Were  you  by  some  arrangement  plac'd 
Where  with  propriety  you  might 
By  sundry  persons  be  address'd, 
Without  the  privilege  of  light, 
Some  might  be  bold,  in  manner  rude. 
And  some  the  fop,  or  fool  display, 
Some  calculating,  cold  and  shrewd, 
And  others  gallant,  brisk  and  gay, 
Same  sprightly,  affable  and  kind, 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  123 

Unblemish'd  by  seductive  art, 
Evincing  cultivated  mind, 
With  warmth  and  purity  of  heart. 
Could  you  do  otherwise  than  make 
A  preference,  though  you  did  not  see? 
I  may,  as  well,  your  method  take; 
Remember  'tis  but  dark  to  me. 
The  rosy  cheeks  and  piercing  eyes, 
The  skin  that  with  the  lily  vies, 
The  slender  form  and  graceful  step* 
These  beauties  all  are  hid  from  me, 
Save  by  imagination's  light, 
By  which  I  easily  can  see 
The  charrn3  they  must  present  to  sight. 
But  there  are  beauties  of  the  mind 
Which  form  and  features  far  excel! ; 
The  feeling  heart  ar.d  taste  refin'd, 
On  these  with  pleasure  I  can  dwell. 
These  fade  not  with  the  charms  of  youth: 
In  frost  of  age  they  still  are  green; 
And  are  to  those  who  relish  truth. 
As  sweet  at  sixty  as  sixteen, 


ON  PRESENTING  A  ROSE  TO  A  CHILD. 

Fair  as  the  rose  which  I  present, 
May  your  unfolding  mind  expand, 

With  virtues  grateful  as  the  scent, 
As  apt  to  please,  as  free  from  stairj. 

Like  this  among  the  thorns  you  are, 
Expos'd  to  raging  winds  and  storms; 

And  foes  who  will  not  beauty  spare, 
Tho'  in  the  most  engaging  forms. 

With  care  I  did  the  rose  protect. 
Lest  any  should  my  bope  destroy; 

Aud  prudence  must  your  steps  direct, 
If  you  would  happiness  enjoy. 

By  yonder  verdant  bush  behold, 


124  HISTORY    OF    HOLDE.V 

A  rose  which  yester  morn  like  these, 
Its  beauties  promis'd  to  unfold, 
And  smiling  visitants  to  please. 

But  plucked  ere  't  was  fully  blown, 
Disrob'd  and  rudely  thrown  away; 

It  lies  forsaken  on  the  ground, 
A  useful  monitor  to  thee. 

So  I  have  seen  a  blooming  maid, 

Like  Eve  in  Eden's  grove  beguiFd; 
Thoughtless  she  listen'd,  was  betray 'd, 
And  then  received  frowns  for  smiles. 

O,  may  it  never  be  your  lot, 
To  fade  untimely  like  the  rose; 

Or  prove  by  folly's  shades,  or  spots, 
The  grief  of  friends,  or  sport  of  foes. 

Tho'  youth  and  beauty's  fairest  forms, 
Like  roses  transitory  are; 

Yet  virtue  has  unfading  charms, 
Which  time  itself  cannot  impair. 


SOCIETY  FOR  DETECTING  THIEVES. 

The  object  of  this  Society  may  be  learned  from  the 
preamble  to  the  Constitution. — i:  As  energy,  vigilance. 
and  union  are  highly  expedient  to  suppress  the  sons  of 
violence,  often  found  in  society,  the  persons  whose  names 
are  hereunto  annexed,  do  agree  to  form  themselves  into 
a  society  for  the  purpose  of  detecting  thieves  and  recov- 
ering stolen  property." 

The  Constitution  was  adopted  Feb.  23,  ISIS. 

Persons  are  admitted  by  vote  of  the  Society,  or  appro- 
bation of  President.  Secretary,  and  one  of  the  Standing 
Committee,  and  when  admitted,  each  individual   must 


HJSTORY    OF    KOLDEN. 


125 


pay  the  sum  of  seventy-five  cents  into  the  hands  of  the 
Treasurer  for  the  use  of  said  Society. 

Clergymen  in  town  have  usually  been  elected  honora- 
ry members  of  the  Society. 

The  Constitution  has  been  variously  modified  since  its 
adoption. 

The  Society  at  present,  when  duly  organized,  consists 
of  a  President ;  the  duties  of  Secretary  and  Treasurer  are 
performed  by  the  same  person ;  a  Standing  Committee 
and  a  Pursuing  Committee. 

The  funds  of  the  Society,  (January  4,  1841,)  $123,86,, 

ORIGINAL    MEMBERS. 


James  Estabrook, 

Doct.  John  Smith, 

Asa  Greenwood, 

Asa  Broad, 

Benjamin  Davis, 

Lemuel  Davis, 

Samuel  Damon, 

George  Flagg, 

Silas  Flagg, 

Jervis  Abbott, 

Francis  Winn, 

Samuel  Turner, 

Daniel  Knowlton, 

Samuel  W.  Hubbard, 

Joel  Glezen, 

John  M.  Smith, 

Li* 


Paul  Davis,  jr., 
Caleb  Kendall, 
William  Drury,  jr., 
Joseph  Crosby, 
John  P.  Maynard, 
James  Estabrook,  jr.. 
James  Winch, 
James  Davis, 
Jonathan  Estabrook, 
Ethan  Davis, 
Artemas  Dryden, 
Farnum  White, 
Ebenezer  Estabrook^. 
Jonas  Chaffin, 
Royal  EL  Chaffin, 
John  Chaffin. 


126  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


TOPOGRAPHY. 

This  township  originally  had  a  diamond  or  rhombic 
figure.  Its  four  sides  were  all  straight,  and  those  oppo- 
site nearly  equal;  its  angles,  two  obtuse  and  two  acute. 
In  1765  some  hundreds  of  acres  were  taken  from  the  S. 
W.  side  to  form  the  township  of  Paxton ;  and  in  1808, 
another  portion  was  taken  from  the  Easterly  side  to  form 
the  town  of  West  Boylston. 

Its  present  bounds  are  as  follows: — commencing  at  the 
N.  W.  angle,  (at  a  stake  and  stones  in  a  swamp,  wes- 
terly from  E.  &  E.  Mead's  house:)  thence  North  56  deg. 
East,  899  rods,  by  Rutland  line,  to  a  stone  post  at 
Princeton  corner:  thence  N.  56  deg.  E.  1204,  (making  a 
straight  line  2103,)  thence  S.  12  1-2  deg.  E,  630  rods,  by- 
Sterling,  to  a  stone  post  on  West  Boylston:  thence  71  1-2 
deg.  W.  104  rods,  by  West  Boylston,  to  a  stone  post : 
thence  S.  5  deg.  E.  1652  rods,  by  West  Boylston  to  Wor- 
cester :  thence  the  Worcester  line  runs  S.  57  deg.  W.  1521 
rods,  to  a  stone  post  at  Paxton:  thence,  by  several 
small  angles  on  the  Paxton  and  Rutland  lines,  to  the  first 
mentioned  bound. 

The  soil  of  the  town  is  various,  and  its  surface  much 
diversified  with  hills  and  valleys.  The  different  kinds 
of  forest  trees  are,  pines,  white  and  yellow;  oaks, 
white,  red,  and  black ;  hemlock,  horn-beam,  maple, 
ash,  chestnuts  and  walnuts.  An  area  of  fifty  acres 
Gan  scarcely  be  found  containing  a  homogeneous  soil,  or 
a  plain  surface.  "  The  land  in  the  out-skirts  of  the  town 
is  the  most  springy  and  natural  to  grass.  The  general 
products  are  rye,  Indian  corn,  and  oats.  When  there  is 
a  failure  of  crops,  it  is  generally  owing  to  other  causes 
than  the  nature  of  the  soil."     {Whitney' s  His:  189.) 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  127 

HILLS. 

Maiden  Hill — (^called  by  the  early  settlers  Mt-Carmel) 
is  situated  in  the  east  part  of  the  town.  It  is  covered 
with  wood  and  timber,  and  only  a  small  part  is  under 
cultivation.  A  granite  quarry  has  been  improved  on  the 
easterly  side  of  this  hill. 

Pleasant  Hill.  Tradition  reports  this  hill  to  have 
been  an  Indian  encamping  ground.  It  has  a  rich  soil  and 
produces  great  crops  of  grass  and  grain — now  owned  by 
S.  "W.  Hubbard  and  son.     [See  page  24.] 

Grape-Vine  Hill — (so  called  by  the  first  settlers).  It 
is  situated  in  the  N.  W.  part  of  the  town.  The  soil  is 
excellent  and  well  adapted  to  tillage  and  pasturage.  It 
is  now  owned  by  John  Estabrook. 

Champlain  Hill.  This  hill  is  situated  in  the  westerly 
part  of  the  town,  and  derives  its  name  from  the  circum- 
stance, that  several  acres  were  clear  of  forest  trees  when 
first  visited  by  the  early  settlers.  Subsequently  the  Capt 
James  Davis  place. 

Pine  Hill.  It  is  situated  partly  in  Paxton  and  partly 
in  Holden.  Its  principle  value  consists  in  a  growth  of 
pine  timber. 

Hasnebumskit  Hill.  This  hill  is  situated  in  the  S.W. 
part  of  the  town.  It  presents  a  beautiful  appearance 
when  approached  from  the  north.  Cultivated  fields  and 
pasture-lands  extend  to  its  very  summit.  Iron  oar  and 
sulphur  abound  upon  this,  and  Pine  hill,  so  that  the 
magnetic  needle  will  not  traverse  in  their  vicinity. 

Stone-House  Hill.  This  hill  is  situated  in  the  south 
part  of  the  town.  Its  steep  and  rocky  sides  are  difficult 
of  access,  rendering  the  soil  unfit  for  cultivation.  In 
':  olden  times  "  it  was  a  renowned  resort  for  rattle-snakes. 
The  name,  Stone-House,  was  given  to  the  hill  in  cons.e- 


128  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEX, 

quence  of  a  natural  house  or  shed,  in  the  southern  part 
formed  by  the  projecting  rocks* 

The  Regulators,  during  the  period  of  Shays  rebellion 
made  this  a  place  of  rendezvous. 

RIVERS    AND    BROODS. 

Quinapoxet  River.  It  is  the  principal  river  in  the 
town.  It  has  three  branches.  (1.)  North  Quinapoxet 
River  in  formed  by  the  union  of  streams  issuing  from 
Quinapoxet  and  Muscopauge  Ponds.  This  branch  passes 
the  North  and  Quinapoxet  Factories,  and  unites  with 
the  (2)  South  Quinapoxet,  rising  in  the  Hasnebumskit 
Pond,  in  Pax  ton.  The  last  mentioned  stream  passes 
Eagleville,  Dryden's,  Jepherson's,  and  Lovell's  manu- 
facturing mills.  These  branches  unite  in  Mr.  Thaddeus 
Nichols's  intervale,  thence  running  through  Perry's  and 
Watson's  intervales.  (3.)  Cedar  Swamp  Brook  rises 
from  numerous  springs  in  the  southerly  part  of  the  town, 
passing  Hinds'  and  Hill's  mills,  and  Lee's  cotton  factory, 
and  unites  with  the  Quinapoxet  River,  in  the  Estabrook 
intervale.  This  river  thence  passing  Shelden's  mills,  be- 
comes a  branch  of  the  Nashua  River,  which  empties  into 
the  Merrimack  River  near  Nashua,  N.  H. 

A  small  stream  rises  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  and 
becomes  a  branch  of  the  Blackstone  River. 

Note.  In  the  meadoiv,  near  Mr.  Sam'l  Howe's  house, 
two  streams  rise.  One  becomes  a  tributary  of  Merrimack 
River,  the  other  of  the  Blackstone  River.  The  former 
emptying  into  the  ocean  at  Newburyport ;  the  latter  into 
Narragansett  Bay,  at  Providence,  R.  I. 

The  surface  of  Quinapoxet  Pond  is  717  ft.  above  tide- 
water; and  Quinapoxet  River,  at  the  West  Boylston 
line,  483  ft.  above  the  same  level.  Of  course,  the  fall  of 
Quinapoxet  River,  in  Holden,  would  be  234  ft. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


129 


JUSTICES. 


*  John  Childs,  jr. 

*  John  Dodd,f 
William  Drury, 

*  Lemuel  Davis, 

*  James  Estabrook, 

*  Ebenezer  Estabrook, 

*  Ethan  Davis, 
Samuel  Damon, 
Silas  Flagg, 
Charles  Chaffin, 
Paul  Davis, 


appointed 


u 


IC 


IC 


a 


ic 


a 


a 


a 


u 


a 


September  19, 

March  29, 

June  9, 

March  5, 

March  3, 

October  24, 

June  18, 

July  2, 

February  23, 

February  23, 

March  25, 


1776. 
1793. 
1802. 
1804 
1809* 
1814. 
1817. 
1828. 
1833. 
1833. 
1840. 


*  Deceased. 

t  The  following  interesting  incident3  were  furnished  by  a  son  of  Joha 
Dodd,  Esq.,  in  a  letter  to  the  compiler: 

"  Mr.  James  Dodd  was  born  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  in  the  year  1724. 
His  father  died  when  he  was  about  the  age  of  12  or  14  years,  and  he  was 
apprenticed  to  an  older  brother  who  was  a  manufacturer  of  Linen  Goods. 
In  consequence  of  ill  treatment  by  his  brother's  wife,  he  threatened  to  leave 
his  brother  unless  she  treated  him  with  more  kindness,  which  he  carried  into 
effect  shortly  after. 

An  American  vessel  came  into  port  and  he  made  known  his  grievances 
to  the  Captain,  and  requested  he  would  take  him  to  this  country  ;  iaformin* 
him  at  the  same  time,  that  he  had  no  money,  but  would  work  his  passage. 
The  Capt.  consented,  and  was  to  he4st  a  signal  when  he  was  ready  to  weigh 
anchor,  and  Mr.  Dodd  was  to  go  to  the  wharf  and  swing  his  hat,  and  the 
Capt.  was  to  send  a  boat  for  him,  which  was  done.  Soon  after,  the  vessel 
was  hailed  by  some  one  on  shore  to  know  if  they  had  any  one  on  board  that 
did  not  belong  there  ;  to  which  thi  Captain  replied  that  he  had  no  one  but 
his  crew.  On  his  arrival  in  this  country,  about  1741  or  2,  having  neither 
friends  nor  money,  (as  all  he  took  with  him  was  a  small  bundle  of  clothes 
which  he  tied  up  in  a  handkerchief,)  he  made  immediate  application  to 
William  Shirley, then  Provincial  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  who  at  the  time 
resided  in  the  town  of  Dorchester,  and  who  immediately  procured  a  loom 
and  set  him  to  work.  His  fabric  was  of  so  fine  a  texture  that  the  Governor 
sent  a  portion  of  it  to  England  as  a  specimen  of  American  product  and  man- 
ufacture, the  first  that  went  from  this  country  ;  for  which  the  spinner  and 
weaver  each  received  a  Joe  [$17,14,]  as  a  premium  for  their  skill.  After  a 
year  or  two's  residence  in  this  country,  Mr.  Dodd  became  acquainted  with 
a  Miss  Mary  Houston,  who  at  the  age  of  8  years,  came  over  to  this  country 
from  the  north  of  Ireland  with  her  father,  mother,  three  brothers  and  three 
sisters,  and  settled  in    Maine."         ***** 

He  was  married  "  in  the  year  1747,  to  the  aforesaid  Mary  Houston,  ao£ 


130  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

LAWYER. 

Jason  B.  Blackington.  Native  of  Attleborough, 
Brown  University,  A.  B.  1826.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  town,  1829,  and  continued  here  be- 
tween two  and  three  years.     He  is  now  at  the  West. 


COLLEGE  GRADUATES. 

Jonathan  Fisher,  H.  U.  1792. 
Joseph  Cheney,  B.  U.  1801. 
Abraham  Wheeler,  Wm's  C.  1810, 
Abel  Manning,  B.  U.  1817. 
Moses  Winch,  A.  C.  1827. 
Elnathan  Davis,  Wm's  C.  1834. 
David  Fiske,  A.  C.  1834. 
John  Foster,  A.  C.  1834. 
William  Howe,  Waterville  C.  1834. 
Merrill  Richardson,  M.  C.  1835. 
Henry  G.  Darling,  Wm's  C.  1835. 
Samuel  D.  Darling,  Wm's  C.  1836. 
Samuel  C.  Damon,  A.  C.  1836. 


settled  in  Bedford,  where  they  resided  until  about  the  year  1757.  Daring 
their  residence  in  Bedford,  they  had  three  children,  viz  :  V\  illiam,  who  was 
born  in  1747,  James  in  1750,  and  John  in  1755.  From  Bedford  they  mov- 
ed to  Lexington,  where  they  purchased  a  small  place  and  resided  for  sis 
years  ;  sold  it  in  1763,  and  purchased  a  farm  of  about  300  acres  in  Holden, 
now  occupied  and  owned  by  Deacon  Rice,  Oliver  Knowlton,  Sam'l  Stratton 
and  the  widow  Parker.  This  place  was  purchased  with  specie,  which  he 
took  up  in  his  saddlebags  ;  and  he  sold  out  again  in  the  year  1776  or  1777, 
with  the  intention  of  moving  down  to  Maine,  among  his  wife's  relations,  but 
never  carried  this  project  into  effect  ;as  he  was  soon  after  taken  sick,  and  died 
in  May,  1778.  In  the  spring  after  he  sold  his  farm,  he  sold  off"  all  his  stock. 
For  the  farm  and  stock  he  took  pay  in  continental  money,  most  of  which 
was  kept  on  hand  until  it  was  entirely  worthless.  During  his  residence  in 
Holden  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Princeton  for  his  eldest  son  William,  which 
he  gave  to  him,  and  remarked  at  the  time,  that  the  Homestead  (which  h® 
subsequently  sold  for  continental  money,)  would  answer  for  James  and  John. 
Thus  the  two  younger  children  were  almost  entirely  cut  off*." 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  131 

MISSIONARIES. 

Deacon  Isaac  Fisk.     He  was  the  son  of  Mr.  Nahum 

Piskj  and  born  at  Holden — 1790.  A  blacksmith  by  trade. 
Married  to  the  daughter  of  Ethan  Davis.  Esq.,  and  soon 
after  her  death,  he  engaged  as  a  lav-missionarv  amons 
the  Choctaw  Indians.  He  arrived  at  Elliot,  Aug.,  1S19. 
and  1820.  In  his  will,  he  bequeathed  about  $800  00  to 
the  American  Board. 

Mrs.  Goodell,  (Abigail  P.  Davis.)  daughter  of  Lemu- 
el Davi3,  Esq..  and  grand-daughter  of  the  first  minister, 
was  born  at  Holden,  April  16,  1800.  She  was  married 
to  the  Rev.  "William  Goodell.  a  graduate  of  D.  G,  1S17, 
Andover  T.  S.  1820.  They  embarked  Dec.  9, 1822,  from 
New  York,  for  the  Syrian  Mission,  under  the  patronage 
of  the  American  B,  C.  F.  Missions.  Beyroot  became  the 
scene  of  their  labors,  where  they  remained  some  years. 
From  thence  they  removed  to  Malta,  on  the  Island  of 
Cyprus  ;  but  since  the  year  1S31,  they  have  been  station- 
ed at  Constantinople. 

Mrs  Grout,  (Hannah  Davis.)  daughter  of  Ethan  Da- 
vis. Esq.,  was  born  at  Holden,  Feb.  26,  1805.  In  early 
life  her  mind  was  impressed  with  the  importance  of  per- 
sonal religion.  Her  connection  with  the  church  in  Hoi- 
den.  commenced  when  she  was  quite  young.  In  addition 
to  the  advantages  of  schools  in  her  native  place,  she  was 
for  a  number  of  months  under  the  instruction  of  the  ex- 
cellent Mrs.  Fiske,  of  Keene,  N.  H.,  and  completed  her 
studies  preparatory  for  the  missionary  work,  at  Ipswich 
Female  Seminary.  She  was  married  to  the  Rev.  Aldin 
Grout,  a  graduate  of  Amherst  College,  1831,  and  Ando- 
ver T.  S.  1834.  They  embarked  at  Boston,  Dec.  3,  1834. 
for  a  Station  about  to  be  established  among  a  native 
tribe  of  Africans,  called  the  Zulu,  living  in  the  south- 
eastern part  of  the  Continent.     They  arrived  at  Cape 


132  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

Town,  Feb.  5,  1835.  and  at  Port  Natal,  May  21,  1836, 
Mrs.  Grout  died  at  Port  Elizabeth,  Feb.  24,  1836.  One 
year  and  nineteen  days  after  her  arrival  in  the  country. 

Mrs.  Grout,  (Charlotte  Bailey.)  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  James  Bailey,  and  was  married  to  the  Rev, 
Aldin  Grout,  a  few  months  after  his  return  from  Africa, 
to  the  U.  S.,  in  consequence  of  wars  among  the  Zulu 
people.  They  embarked  for  Africa,  March,  1840,  to  en- 
gage in  missionary  labors,  among  the  same  tribes. 

Mr.  Edward  Bailey,  son  of  Mr.  James  Bailey,  was 
born  at  Holden,  Feb.  24,  1814.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Caroline  Hubbard,  daughter  of  Mr.  Jonas  Hubbard, 
She  was  born  at  Holden,  August  13,  1814.  They  em- 
barked from  Boston  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  December 
14,  1S36.  Now  engaged  in  Missionary  pursuits  at  the 
Islands. 

Mrs.  Eells,  (Myra  Fairbanks.)  daughter  of  Deacon 
Joshua  Fairbanks,  was  born  at  Holden,  May  25,  1805. 
She  was  married  to  the  Rev.  Gushing  Eells,  a  native  of 
Blanford,  Ms.,  and  graduate  of  Williams  College,  1834, 
and  East  Windsor  Theological  Seminary,  1837.  They 
left  New  York,  March  19,  1838,  for  a  missionary  station, 
supported  by  the  American  Board,  among  the  Flat  Head 
Indians,  living  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Their 
journey  was  mostly  performed,  after  leaving  Saint  Louis, 
in  company  with  a  Caravan,  which  travelled  for  trading 
purposes  among  the  Indians.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eells  arrived 
safely  at  their  station,  Aug.  29, 1838,  where  they  are  now 
engaged  in  their  missionary  labors. 

Mrs.  Goddard,  (Eliza  Ann  Abbott.)  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  Asa  Abbott,  and  was  married  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Goddard,  a  Missionary  to  China,  under  the  patronage  of 
the  American  Baptist  Board  of  Missions. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  133 

POST-MASTERS. 

[the  post-office  was  established 1813  OR  '14.] 

Benjamin  Davis,  Dennis  Davis, 

Lemuel  Davis,  Charles  Chaffm. 

Merrill  Davis, 


PHYSICIANS. 

A  half  century  had  nearly  passed  before  a  Physician 
became  permanently  located  in  Town.  A  biographical 
sketch  of  the  first  was  given  in  the  address,  page  60. 

The  following  inscription  is  taken  from  his  grave-stone. 

This  Stone 

Marks  the  Spot 

where  rests  the  mortal 

part  of 

DOCT.  ISAAC  CHENERY, 

who  departed  this  life, 

Oct.  20,  1822, 

Aged  80. 

"  In  the  cold  mansion  of  the  silent  tomb, 
How  still  the  solitude,  how  deep  the  gloom  ; 
Here  sleeps  the  flesh  unconscious,  close,  confined, 
But  far,  far  distant  dwells  the  immortal  mind." 

Note.     Soon  after  Doct.  C.'s  settlement  in  Holden,  h 
married  Miss  Susannah  Pierce,  of  Worcester.     They  had 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters.     Their  grand-children, 
now  number  43 — g.  g.  children,  44 — g.  g.  g.  child,  1 ;  in 
all,  98  descendants. 

Thaddeus  Chenery.  Son  of  Isaac  Chenery,  was  born, 
Holden,  April  27,  1769.  He  practiced  a  short  time  with 
his  father,  after  becoming  a  member  of  the  profession, 
but  soon  removed  to  Boylston,  wrhere  he  remained  (ex- 
cepting six  years  at  Lancaster,)  until  a  few  months  sub- 
sequent to  the  death  of  his  father,  1S22.  He  then  returned 
to  the  late  residence  of  his  father,  where  he  continued  to 

12 


134  HISTORY    OF   HOLDEN. 

reside  until  1840 ;  and  he  is  now  living  in  the  centre  of 
the  town.  The  whole  period  of  his  practice  has  "been  about 
forty  years.  He  married  Polly  Dodd.  Their  children  are, 
Wm.  D.,  Cyrus,  Jno.  A.,  Mary, Nancy  J.,  and  Lucy  Ann. 

Moses  Wheeler.     A  native  of  the  town.     Not  known 

how  long  he   continued  here   his  practice.     Died . 

State  of  New  York. 

Aaron  Holbrook.  A  native  of  the  town.  He  prac- 
ticed some  years,  and  died  December  18,  1S25,  aged  43. 

John  Smith,  and  his  son  John  M.  Smith,  practiced  some 
years  in  town. 

George  Estabrook.  A  native  of  Rutland.  This  gen- 
tleman has  resided  at  two  different  times  in  town.  He 
now  is  living  in  his  native  place. 

David  Davis.  A  native  of  the  town,  and  son  of  Elna- 
than  Davis.  He  received  his  degree  at  New  Haven, 
1824.  He  is  now  actively  engaged  here,  in  the  duties'of 
his  profession.  He  spent  two  years  in  New  York  city, 
between  1833-7,  and  his  practice  in  Holden  has  been 
about  fifteen  years. 

Aaron  G.  Babcock.  A  native  of  Princeton.  Com- 
menced practice  here,  1S30.  He  subsequently,  was  a 
druggist,  in  Worcester;  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  calico,  Newton,  Mass. 

Warren  Partridge.  Practiced  for  months  in  town, 
and  is  now  living  at  Princeton,  engaged  in  his  profes- 
sional duties. 

A.  G.  Skinner.  Practiced  very  successfully  here,  for 
some  months,  but  now  is  residing  in  the  West. 

Augustus  Robbins.  A  native  of  Harvard,  M.  D.  at 
H.  U.,  is  now  successfully  discharging  his  professional 

duties  in  town.     He  commenced  practice  in  Holden,  June 
20,  1837. 

Note.     Some  other  Physicians  have  come  and  gone. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEX.  135 

MASONRY. 

The  Worcester  County  Encampment  of  Knights  Tem- 
plars, and  the  Appendant  Orders,  was  established  in 
Holden,  June  24,  1S25.  An  address  was  delivered  upon 
the  occasion  by  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Wood,  Upton.  Bye- 
Laws,  twenty-three  in  number,  were  adopted  and 
published. 

ORIGINAL  MEMBERS. 

Jonas  L.  Sibley,  Daniel  Tenney, 

James  Estabrook,  George  Estabrook, 

Lewis  Thayer,  David  Davis, 

Samuel  Stratton,  Jacob  Wood, 

Orin  Dalrimple,  Joel  Nurse, 

Elisha  Andrews,  Manasseh  Willard, 

Jacob  Frieze,  Adin  Ballon. 

The  meetings  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity  were,  for  some 
years  held  in  the  Hall  of  the  Abbott  Hotel.  Numerous 
relics  and  papery  are  now  deposited  in  the  garret  of  the 
same  house.  The  neglect  into  which  the  subject  has 
fallen  for  some  years  past,  would  lead  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wood  and  his  Masonic  Friends,  are 
now  practically  adopting  an  opinion  advanced  in  his  ad- 
dress. uFor  myself,  I  am  ready  to  declare,  in  this  pub- 
lic manner,  that  did  I  believe  there  was  any  thing  in  the 
principles  of  Masonry,  incompatible  with  the  high  and 
holy  vocation  of  a  Christian  Minister,  or  any  thing  which 
had  the  least  tendency  to  weaken  or  destroy  the  faith 
once  delivered  to  the  saints,  I  would  openly  and  imme- 
diately renounce  the  order,  and  throw  its  badges  to  the 
moles  and  to  the  bats  /"     [See  Page  6.] 


136-  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

MILITARY  AFFAIRS. 

In  the  early  records  of  the  town,  constant  references 
appear  relating  to  militia  affairs.  The  citizens  were 
often  called  to  make  practical  exhibitions  of  their  patri- 
otism and  bravery  in  their  country's  service.  The  town, 
May  4,  1744,  ''Voted  the  sum  of  £30,  to  provide 
powder  and  bullets,  and  flints  for  town-stock." 

The  following  list  of  militia  men,  must  have  been  made 
at  an  early  period,  although  it  was  accompanied  by  no 
date. 

OFFICERS. 
Capt.  John  Eiglo,  Sergeant,  Bezaleel  Fisk, 

Lieut.   Cyprian  Stevens,  "  Samuel  Hubbard. 

Ensign,  Sam'l  Heywood,  "  John  Childs, 

Corp.  Joseph  Greenwood,  "  Amos  Heywood, 

"     Jonathan  Rice, 

PRIVATES. 

Samuel  Thompson,  John  Johnson,  II  Thompson, 

Win  Clark,  William  Harris,  Abra  Black, 

Jonathan  Lovell,  Charles  Heywood.,  Nathaniel  Stearns, 

Jotham  Biglo,  Ben]  Mead,  Jonathan  Wheeler, 

James  Grey,  Jonas  Parker,  Moses  Wheeler, 

Joseph  Woolley,  Amos  Parker,  Isaac  Wheeler, 

Phinehas  Bennett,  Elisha  Parker,  David  Fiske, 

Silas  Bennett,  Andrew  Smith,  Robert  V\  ilson, 

Phinehas  Ball,  Josiah  Broad,  John  Shelton, 

Win  Nickols  jr,  Josiah  Cheney,  Eph  Stevens, 

Thomas  McMulIen,  Will  Cowden,  O  Davis 

David  Brown,  Saml  Cowden,  Jonas  Gray, 

Jonas  Read,  Will  Thompson,  Peter  Nutten, 

Elisha  Harrington,  Joseph  French,  Robert  Cowden, 

Isaac  Smith,  Joshua  Nickols, 

111  tracing  the  history  of  the  town  to  the  close  of  the 
18th  century,  the  writer  made  repeated  allusions  to  the 
military  spirit  of  its  inhabitants.  The  same  feeling 
has  since  been  cherished. 

About  the  close  of  the  last  war,  it  was  exhibited  in 
the  organization  of  a  Grenadier  Company.  This  compa- 
ny for  more  than  20  years,  took  a  high  rank  upon  all  oc- 
casions of  military  parade.  Its  Officers  and  Privates 
were  willing  to  make  great  sacrifices  of  their  time,  exer- 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 


137 


tions,  and  money,  to  maintain  its  honor  and  respectability. 
The  following,  comprises  a  full  list  of  all  its  members, 
from  1S16  to  1837. 


1S1G, 

fJervis  Abbott, 
Amasa  Boyden, 
**Wm  Drury  jr, 
David  Fisk, 
cThomas  Jones  Davis, 
Seth  Clapp,  Jr., 
Leonard  Fisk, 
Jotham  Bigelow, 
Warren  Flagg, 
John  Rogers,  2d, 
Samuel  Dunton, 
John  Keyes, 
Simon  Chatfin, 
*Thomas  Davis,  Jan., 
Cyrus  Dryden, 
Samuel  Munroe, 
Walter  Lee, 
Luther  Goddard, 
Silas  Flagg, 
Joel  Howe, 
Leonard  Fales, 
Simon  Hubbard, 
Chauncey  Itugg, 
Jonathan  ChaiKn, 
Joseph  Howard,  jun., 
David  Clapp, 
David  Winch, 
Jacob  Howard, 
1317. 
Luther  Nash, 
Blicah  Holbrook, 
Daniel  Rogers, 
David  Hoyt, 
§Johii  P.  Maynard, 
James  Maddocks, 
Amos  Adams, 
Leonard  Chenery, 
:£Chenery  Abbott, 
John  Fales, 
Abraham  Goddard, 
Joseph  White, 
t-Merrill  Davis, 
**Jonea  Estabrook, 
Nathan  Goodell, 
Joseph  Barbour, 
Rufus  P.  Fuller, 
^Sparrow  Crosby,  jun. 
David  Cook, 


Curtis  Knowlton, 
Oren  Flagg, 
Moses  G.  Allen, 
Nathan  Rogers,  jun  ., 
Moses  Newell, 
Warren  Davis, 
William  Rassett; 
1824. 
John  L.  Davis, 
Newman  Allen. 
William  Kendall, 
fStilman  Estabru 
Abner  Perry  jun.,, 

25. 
Baylies  Upham, 
Alonzo  L.  Ware, 


Samuel  Chickering, 
Royal  H.  Chaifin, 
Daniel  Knowlton,  jun. 
Joseph  Crosby, 
Simon  Black, 
Stilman  Howe, 

1818. 
David  Partridge, 
§Dennis  Davis, 
Artemas  White, 
John  Buss, 

1819. 
fSamuel  Stratton,  jun. 
Benjamin  Pierce, 
ttJason  Mann, 
Elisha  Bartlelt, 
Thomas  Jefferson  Davis,  Moses  Smith, 
§  Daniel  Hubbard,  Leonard  Fales, 

Caleb  Rogers,  William  Davis, 

1820.  Nahnm  Howe, 

John  Spring,  Samuel  D.  Darling, 

**Abel  Drury,  Elnathan  Davis, 

Samuel  D.  Greenwood,    §Caleb  Kendall,  jun.s 
Charles  B.  Maynard,        Benjamin  T.  Southwick, 


Ebenezer  R.  Perry, 
George  W.  Perry, 

1S21. 
William  Flagg, 
Emerson  Hubbard, 
Lyman  Bryant, 
Gardner  Davis, 
Jonathan  Munroe, 
Addison  Davis, 
Oliver  Stone, 
Joseph  Parminter, 
William  Mathews, 
Joel  Davis, 

1822. 
Daniel  Knowlton ,  jun. 
Addison  Arnold, 
Hezekiab  Dent, 
John  E.  Wellington, 
Charles  Goodnow, 
William  Kendall, 
David  Davis, 
Henry  Goulding, 
Samuel  A.  Wheeler, 

1823. 
Joseoh  Davis, 


Nathaniel  Sibi 

26.' 

f  Joab  S.  Holt, 
John  Richard;cn; 
James  Bacon, 
Philo  Smith, 
John  L.  He  wet, 
Rufus  F.  Bacon, 
Elias  B.  Flagg, 
Jeremiah  Knowlton.. 
Jason  Knowlton, 
Hollis  Ball, 
Abner  Rogers, 
David  Fisk,  2d, 
Joseph  D.  Fuller, 

1827. 
Harrison  Bixby, 
Albert  M.  Bartlelt, 
Alfred  P.  Bartlelt, 
Stilman  Hubbard, 
Closes  Winn, 
Silas  Dodd, 
Francis  Davis, 


;amuel 


Tempi 


Edmund  Johnson. 


#1  o 

J.     -mm 


138 


HISTORY    OF    HOLBEN. 


Harrington. 


Edward  Richardson, 
Silas  Smith, 
Asa  Ho! brook, 
Caleb  S.  Fisk, 

1S28. 
Amos  H.  Newell,. 
Peter  S.  Winn, 
Gilman  Darling, 
Elisha  Tucker, 
Frescott  B.  Albee, 

1S29. 
Daniel  F.  Hubbard, 
Joseph  Fisk, 
Simon  G 
William  Roger 
Dwight  F.  Eage;', 
Aaron  Newell, 

1830. 
Horace  Nichols, 
Charles  Hubbard, 
Lemuel  Fisk,  jun.,. 
John  E.  Smith, 
**Ethan  Davis,  jun., 
James  Hastings, 
Simon  Howe, 
C hades  A.  Barber, 

1831. 
Caleb  G.  Howe, 
Sparrow  C  Myrick, 
Samuel  B.  Hubbard., 
§Austin  Estabrook, 
John  Coleisih, 
Simon  Goodale, 
Marshall  P.  Robinson, 
Charles  Ball, 
Joseph  B.  Hubbard, 


William  G.  Parker, 
George  Hastings, 
Austin  Flagg, 

1832. 
Edward  Bailey, 
Almon  Samson, 
William  T.  Watson, 
Dexter  Muzzy, 
Alfred  F.  Hastings,. 
Marshall  Hastings, 
Squire  Slocumb, 
William  Howe, 
Oliver  C.  Fairbank, 
George  Thomas, 
Levi  Morgan, 

1833. 
Samuel  Carpenter, 
John  Stone, 
Moses  L.  Darling, 
**Ebenezer  Estabrook, 
Otis  Smith, 
Benjamin  Sawyer, 
Calvin  D.  Davis, 
ttJames  Kendall, 
William  J.  Stratton, 
James  Rawson, 

1S34. 
Charles  Wood, 
George  Dryden, 
Daniel  Willington, 
Simon  Crosby, 
Silas  Barbour,  jun., 
John  M.  Hubbard, 
George  Cheney, 
**George  Knowlton, 
William  Wellington, 


John  F.  Smith, 
Elijah  Wheelock, 
Lothrop  Dormon, 
Gilbert  Wheelock, 
John  B.  Watson, 

1835. 
Merrick  H.  Houghton^ 
Nahum  Newell, 
Joseph  Bassett, 
Caleb  K.  Sawyer, 
Ezra  Sawyer, 
Samuel  Black, 
William  B.  Wright, 
Eli  Darling, 
William  Howe, 
Hendrick  G.  Smith, 

1836. 
Ebenezer  W.  Howe, 
Charles  Roper, 
David  C.  Smith, 
Samuel  Denny  Hubbard;, 
tlsaac  Damon, 
Danford  Hall, 
Elisha  Newell, 
James  W.  Rogers, 
**John  Boyden, 
Beriah  W.  Hyde, 
William  W.  Dodd, 
Merrill  Abbott, 
Samuel  Turner,  jun. 
George  F.  Wood, 
Alex.  Loveless, 
Nye  Moulton, 

1837. 
James  F.  Hervey. 


Note. — A  few  years  since  a  Light  Infantry  company 
was  organized  from  enlistments  in  Ho] den  and  West 
Boylston.  The  writer  has  not  had  the  privilege  of  peru- 
sing the  company's  records. 


*  Promoted  to  Rank  of  General  ;     t 
Major;     §     do,     dp.     Captain;     ** 
Ensigns. 


do. 

do.  Colonel  ; 

t 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do.     Lieut.; 

tt 

do. 

do. 

HISTORY   OF    HOLDER.  139 

SCHOOLS. 

Common  Schools.     When  the  citizens  of  Holden  were 
legally  incorporated  as  a  town,  the  worship  of  God  was 

<s  First  in  their  noble  thoughts  and  plans  ; 
Then,  the  strung  training  of  their  youth.'" 

u  To  have  a  writing  and  reading  school, :;  voted,  i 
citizens,  assembled  May  19.  1741.  A  century  passed. 
March  15.  1S41.  In  Town-Meetinsr.  it  was  '-'  voted  to 
raise  S00  dollars  for  schools  the  ensuing  year."  : -Voted, 
that  it  he  divided  with  all  other  funds  from  Town  or 
State,  as  last  year,  by  the  Selectmen  and  Assessors.'5 
Each  year  intervening  between  1741  and  1841,  witnessed 
a  similar  vote.  It  would  appear  from  the  Town  records 
to  have  become  an  established  method  of  proceedure.  to 
do  as  last  year,  respecting  schools;  with  this  exception, 
however,  the  amount  of  money  raised  has  gradually  been 
augmented  with  the  increase  of  population. 

The  Town,  during  the  last  few  years,  has  annually 
expended  more  than  $1000  for  the  support  of  Common 
Schools.  A  fund  of  about  S3. 400  is  held  by  the  town, 
the  interest,  (1S40 — £202  00.)  of  which  is  appropriated 
for  schooling.  In  addition,  the  sum  of  s54;69,  was  last 
year  (1S40.)  received  from  the  State  Treasury. 

The  above-mentioned  fund  j  is  principally  the  avails 
of  Public  Lands,  granted  to  the  town  by  original  Pro- 
prietors. They  reserved  certain  tracts  of  land  as  school 
lots. 

Statistical  account  of  the  Common  Schools  for  1S40. 

Number  of  Districts.  12. 


No. 


c« 


Part  of  the  Town. 

x  ■ 

,  of  Scholars 

Appropriations 

beuvi 

;en  o  jr. 

&  21  y. 

1, 

Centre, 

110' 

£176  00 

2, 

•Unionville, 

125 

150  00 

East  Part, 

65 

94  00 

4, 

Flagg  District, 

4S 

79   00 

5, 

Eagleville, 

109 

152   00 

140  HISTORY   OF   HOLDEN. 


No. 

6, 

Chaffin  District, 

t< 

7, 

Walker       " 

c< 

8, 

West  Part, 

a 

9, 

Near  John  Estabrooks, 

(C 

10, 

Near  Samuel  Brooks, 

Ci 

11, 

Near  Widow  Allen, 

« 

12, 

French  Woods'  Dis., 

55 

76  00 

31  v 

55  00 

20 

40  00 

s,   4S 

40  00 

32 

45  70 

35 

53  04 

65 

67  57 

733  10G2  67 

Average  attendance — Summer,  3S7 — Winter,  414. 
Number  of  Scholars  between  4  y.  and  16  y.,  485. 

"     cf  Teachers — Summer,  12  Females,  0  Males. 

"  "  Winter,       5       "  9      " 

Av.  wages  per  mo.,  including  board,  $11,61,  females,  $26,87,  males. 
<s  Vaiue  board  per  mo.,  6,06,      «  8,00,      " 

Private  Schools  and  schools  kept  to  prolong  common  schools,  5. 
Assie^ate  number  of  months,  9. 
"         Number  of  scholars,  45. 
At  an  expense  to  individuals,  $135  00. 

The  influence  exerted  by  Common  School  instruction, 
has  been  in  the  highest  degree,  happy  and  salutary  upon 
all  the  citizens  of  the  town.  It  may  confidently  be  as- 
serted that  each  individual  has  personally  shared  in  their 
enlightening  and  ennobling  blessings. 

The  instance  (if  any  has  existed,)  has  never  come  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  writer,  that  a  native-born  citizen 

OF  HOLDEN  COULD  NOT  READ  AND  WRITE. 

"I  have  somewhere  read''  writes  Addison,  "  of  an 
eminent  person,  who  used  in  his  private  offices  of  de- 
votion to  give  thanks  to  Heaven  that  he  was  born  a 
Frenchman.  I  look  upon  it  as  a  peculiar  blessing  that  I 
was  born  an  Englishman."*  A  Frenchman  may  give 
thanks  for  his  National  birth-right,  and  an  Englishman 
regard  his  as  a  peculiar  blessing ;  the  writer  desires  ever 
to  cherish  unfeigned  gratitude  for  the  peculiar  blessing 
of  a  birth-place,  and  a  common  school  education  amid 
the  hills  of  happy  New-England ;  for  this  reason,  among 
many  others — every  child  here,  not  only  may,  eut  does 
learn  to  read  and  write. 


Spectator,  No.  135. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  Ill 

Select  Schools.  The  interests  of  education  in  Holden 
have  not  been  unaffccted  by  the  progress  of  learning 
throughout  the  community.  The  demand  for  more 
school  instruction  has  been  met  by  the  people  of  this 
place,  in  the  maintenance,  a  part  of  the  year,  of  a  Select 
or  High-School.  These  schools  have  with  one  excep- 
tion,^ commenced  about  the  first  week  in  September,  and 
continued  11  or  12  weeks.  The  teacher  has  usually  re- 
ceived the  tuition-fees,  paying  his  own  expenses.  The 
number  of  scholars  has  averaged  from  30  to  50, 

LIST    OF  SELECT-SCHOOL  TEACHERS. 

IS 28— Edward  P.  Humphrey, 
1829 — David  Tappan  Lane, 
1S30— Philander  O.  Powers, 
1831— Aldin  Grout, 
1832— Philander  O.  Powers, 
1833— William  Howe, 
1S34— Merrill  Richardson, 
1S35 — Samuel  C.  Damon, 
1S36— Miss  Martha  Paine, 
1837— Rufus  Taylor, 
1S38— Rufus  Taylor, 
1839 — Sabin  McKinney, 
1S40— George  B.  Rowell, 

Sabbath  Schools — have  been  maintained  in  both  soci- 
eties from  about  the  year  1820.  Schools  were  at  first 
established  in  each  school  district.  This  practice  was 
sustained  but  one  year,  1819.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Goodell, 
(Missionary  at  Constantinople,)  is  regarded  as  having  in- 
troduced the  system  of  S.  S.  Dea.  John  Lowell  was 
Superintendant  of  Cong.  S.  S.  from  1822,  for  15  years. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Alonzo  Ware,  for  3  years. 
Mr.  Allen  is  the  present  Superintendant. 


A.  B. 

1828. 

A.  C. 

K 

1829. 

cc 

iC 

1330. 

tt 

a 

1£31. 

cc 

(C 

1834. 

Wat.  Coll 

n 

1835. 

Mid.  Coll 

Li 

1S36. 

A.  C. 

Ci 

1S37. 

A.  C. 

<( 

1840. 

1  c 

a 

1837. 

u 

*  In  the  spring  of  1830,  Mr.  John  Keep,  a  graduate  of  A.  C,  1829.  taught 
a  select  school  one  quarter. 


142  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

POPULATION. 

The  earliest  census  of  the  town  was  taken — 1765. 

Number  of  families,  75:  Males  under  16  years,  161, 
above  16  years,  109  :  Females  under  16  years,  116,  above 
16  years,  107:  Negroes,  2.     Total,  495. 


CENSUS    OF    HOLDEN  BY   FAMILIES,   1773.* 

David  Winch 

5 

John  Winch 

9 

John  Black 

5 

Elijah  Rice 

6 

Josiab  Broad  jr 

4 

Jabez  Harrington 

11 

Hasten  Holt 

5 

John  Abbott 

12 

James  Cheney 

6 

Moses  Stickney 

11 

Josiah  Stratton 

8 

Francis  Wilson 

4 

Samuel  Grant 

6 

Jonathan   Wheeler 

4 

Jona  Howe 

6 

Job  Colburnt 

7 

Abel  How 

3 

Ebenezer  Melet 

5 

Win  Nickols 

10 

Henry  Taft 

9 

Joseph  Greenwood      5 

John  Perry 

8 

Benjamin  Allen 

6 

Samuel  Estabrook 

3 

John  Obens 

2 

Paul  Goodale 

5 

Charles  Heywood 

13 

A  bra  How 

3 

Samuel  Chafnn 

9 

Amos  Heywood 

9 

Asa  How 

7 

Eph  Smith 

6 

Israel  Davis 

8 

Elisha  Hubbard 

7 

William  Raymond 

*** 

4 

Josiah  Broad 

7 

Elijah  Rice,  jr 

6 

Dea  David  Fiske 

8 

Samuel  Hubbard  j 

r      8 

Peter  Hubbard 

8 

Samuel  Heywood 

9 

Asa  Lovel 

4 

Wm   Harris 

9 

James  Dods 

3 

Peter  Noice 

2 

Elisha  Mir  rick 

8 

Rd  Flagg 

rr 

o 

Ephraim  Holt 

5 

Aaron  Newton 

3 

Daniel  Black 

6 

Bezaleel  Fisk 

6 

Joseph  Morse 

10 

Benjamin  Mead 

5 

Increase  Stearns 

9 

Samuel  Estabrook  j 

r4 

Isaac  Bartlett 

11 

Judah  Wright 

6 

Thomas  Grout 

5 

Isaac  Chenery 

8 

Joseph  Davis 

Andrew  Smith 

11 

Israel  Davis  jr 

7 

Thomas  Kimball 

S 

Dea  Jos  Hubbard 

Nathaniel  Shepherd  3 

Stephen  White 

6 

Jonas  Gale 

11 

Jason  Gleason 

7 

Jona  Lovell 

8 

Wm  Marshall 

7 

Peter  Goulden 

6 

Moses  Wheeler  jr 

o 

Hezekiah  Walker 

o 

a 

Samuel  Hubbard 

7 

Jeremiah  Fuller 

5 

Seth  Snow 

7 

Joseph  Kingsbury 

6 

David  Perry 

5 

Edmund  Hall 

4 

Noah  Haven 

3 

Jesse  Allen 

5 

1790 

- 

. 

. 

1077 

1600                     Males, 

569,                         Females,  573, 

1142 

]  600 

• 

• 

- 

1620                    Wh 

:ites 

,  1400,                   Colored,  2, 

1402 

1-30 

- 

. 

- 

1718 

18401    Males  under  5  years,  146           Feraa 

les 

under  5  years,  121 

"     between  5- 

-10,     93              » 

between  5- 

U               it 

10- 

-15,  107              « 

«         10—15,    93 

n         a 

]5- 

-20,     99              " 

«         15—20,  110 

a          n 

20- 

-30,  170              " 

«        20—30,  218 

*  The  above  census  is  again  inserted,  in  consequence  of  typographical 
errors,  and  because  this  position  appears  the  most  proper. 

t"  Job  Colburn  had  the  widow  Newton  at  his  house  keeping  school^ 
and  Daniel  Hinds  made  his  home  there." 

±  United  States  Census,  1840. 


HISTORY   OF   HOLDEN.  143 

Males  between  30— 40,  123        Females  between  30— 40,  108 


(C 

tt 

40—50, 

67 

a 

tt 

40—50, 

59 

ft 

a 

50—60, 

68 

tt 

it 

50—60, 

78 

el 

it 

60—70, 

22 

it 

a 

60—70, 

31 

it 

tt 

70—80, 

15 

it 

tt 

70—80, 

25 

tt 

it 

80    90, 

11 

tt 

it 

80—90, 

9 

tt 

tt 

90—100, 

0 

tt 

tt 

90—100, 

1 

it 

100, 

I 

ti 

100, 

0 

929 

945- 

-1874 

Five  hundred  seventy-one  persons  are  engaged  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  ten  in  commerce,  and  one  hundred  and 
two  in  manufactures  and  trades.  No  colored  persons 
in  town.f 

Emigration.  The  native  born  citizens  of  Holden,  have 
fully  contributed  their  share  to  sustain  the  established 
character  of  N.  E.  people,  for  going  out  to  seek  their  for- 
tunes, leaving  no  state,  continent,  island,  or  sea  unexplo- 
red. It  would,  perhaps,  be  as  impracticable  as  impossi- 
ble to  furnish  a  complete  list  of  all  natives  of  Holden 
abroad.  The  compiler  will  confine  himself  to  a  few 
(small  part)now  living.  -Levi  Holbrook,  graduate  of 
Yer.  Uni.  1811,  has  resided  for  more  than  twenty  years 
at  Danville,  Va,     He  went  out  as  a  school  teacher. 

John,  James,  Benjamin  and  George,  sons  of  John  Dodd, 
Esq.,  reside  in  Boston.  The  first  is  a  merchant,  the  oth- 
ers  are  connected  with  banking^  ,  All  the  Northern  and 
many  of  the  Southern  States  have  representatives  from 
Holden.  While  many  have  come  from  neighboring  towns 
to  settle  in  town,  as  many  have  gone  to  supply  their 
places. 


I  Deaths  during  1S40.     The 
Rev.  Mr.  Paine's  .New  Year's.  S 

following 
ermon: 

statistics  are  taken  ft 

om  th 

C 

Less  than  one  year,     8. 

Between    1—10,    3 

"        10—20,    0 

"        20—30,    3 

Between  30—40, 
»          40—50, 
"          50—00, 

5 
3 
3 

Between    60—70, 
«           70—80, 
«           80—90, 

3 

1 

4—33 

In  January,   4    In  March,  3 
February,  1         April,    £ 
Males,      17 
Females,  16 — 33 

In  May, 
June, 

2    In  July,       2 
2        August,  4 
Amou 
Avera 

In  September,  2    November, 

October,      4    December, 

nt  of  all  their  ages,  1126 

ge  age,                          34 

4 
3 

144 


HISTORY    OF   HOLDEN. 


The  first 
lowing  the 


167 
170 
S59 
493 

1579 

10.464 

7 

2S2S 
None 
106 
2S7 
400 
200 

1234 
24S 

None 


VALUATIONS. 

general  valuation,  was  made  the  year  fol- 
adoption  of  the  State  Constitution,  17S0. 

VALUATION    FOR    1781. 

Polls, 
Buildings,  valued  at  £27  per  acre, 
Acres  of  Mowing  Tillage, 


"         Meadow 

M         Pasturage, 
"         Woodland, 

Mills 
£     Money  on  hand  and  at  interest. 
Ounces  of  Plate. 
Horses  valued  at 
Oxen, 
Cows, 
Steers, 
Sheep, 
Swine, 

Grain  on  hand, 
Carriages  of  all  sorts.* 


£4590     0 
2632  18 

887 
4256 
S676 

220 

S4S 


13 
3 

S 
0 
8 


742 
1435 
1200 
300 
371 
14S 


0 
0 
0 
0 

s 

16 


0 

10 

0 

1 

0 
0 
0 

0 
0 

0 
0 

0 
0 


£26.331     4  11 


or        $59,604  15 


LAST  GENERAL  VALUATIONS  FOR  THE 

YEAR  1840 

Number.            Polls, 

456 

"                    Houses, 

263 

(i                     Barns, 

239 

•<                     Saw-Mills. 

13 

"                     Grist'  " 

5 

iS                    Shingle  k  Lath  do. 

6 

«                     Fulling  " 

1 

"                     Carding  Machine, 

1 

«'                    Cotton  Factories, 

5 

*•                    Spindles, 

6.474 

"                    Looms, 

153 

"                    Woollen  Factories, 

2 

<{                     Spindles, 

430 

"                    Looms, 

16 

u                     Tanneries, 

2 

"                     Stores 

6 

"                     Acres  Tillage  Land, 

S24 

"                    Bush.  Wheat, 

67 

*  Rev.  Mr.  Avery,  was  among  the  first,  to  ride  in  a  chaise, and  old  people 
now  can  remember  when  there  was  not  a  wagon  or  chaise  in  town. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  145 


Number 

of 

bushels    Rye, 

1,073 

tt 

"         Oats, 

7,010 

a 

"         Corn, 

6,466 

ti 

"         Barley, 

50 

tt 

Acres  Eng.  Mowing, 

2,135 

u 

Tons  Hay, 

1,649 

a 

Acres  Meadow, 

952 

a 

Tons  Hay, 

636 

tt 

Acres  Pasturage, 

7,499 

tt 

"     Wood-Land, 

4,184 

a 

11     Unimproved  Land, 

4,655 

a 

"     Unimprovable  " 

1,310 

tt 

Oxen, 

287 

tt 

Cows  and  Young  Cattle, 

987 

ti 

Horses, 

221 

a 

Sheep, 

347 

a 

Swine, 

318 

Whole  amount  of  valuation  for  18-40,  $576,622. 

MANUFACTURES. 

The  history  of  manufactures  may  most  readily  be 
traced  by  sketching,  separately,  that  of  the  different 
villages. 

Unionville.  Messrs.  Eleazer  Rider  &  Sons,  commenc- 
ed spinning  Cotton  Yarn  at  this  place  in  1809.  These 
persons  had  been  previously  engaged  in  the  same  busi- 
ness, at  West  Boylston.  It  is  stated  upon  good  authori- 
ty, that  they  were  among  the  first,  (if  not  the  first,)  man- 
ufacturers of  cotton  yarn  in  Worcester  County.  In  1810 
the  factory  of  the  Messrs.  Riders  contained  48  spindles. 
The  same  year,  the  establishment  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Joshua  Bassett  and  Mr.  Farnum  White.  An  addition 
was  then  made  of  56  spindles.  Mr.  John  Rudman  pur- 
chased of  Bassett  and  White,  in  1814.  The  factory  was 
sold  to  Mr.  John  Slater,  1819.  In  the  following  year, 
repairs  and  alterations  were  commenced.  In  1821,  Mr. 
John  Lees  became  the  owner,  who  continued  to  make  re- 
pairs and  additions,  during  the  three  following  years. 

Weaving  by  the  Power  Loom  commenced  1822.  In  1824, 

13 


146  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

Mr.  Lees  sold  10  bales  of  Sheeting  to  Mr.  Samuel  Park- 
man,  jr.,  Boston,  who  shipped  the  goods  to  Batavia.  It 
was  reported  at  the  time,  to  have  been  the  first  shipment 
of  cotton  goods  from  this  country,  which  passed  around 
Cape  Good- Hope. 

This  manufacturing  establishment  is  now  the  proper- 
ty of  Lees  and  Eldridge, — contains  1770  spindles,  and 
36  Looms.  275,000  yards  is  an  average  amount  of  cloth 
annually  manufactured,  besides  a  quantity  of  batting. 

Jepherson's  Satinet  Factory.     It  was  built  by 

Morse,  1825,  but  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  John  Jepherson. 
It  contains  180  spindles,  and  8  looms.  During  the  late 
"hard  times,"  the  proprietor  has  devoted  more  attention 
to  agriculture,  than  to  the  manufacture  of  satinet — at  a 
udead  loss." 

Northville  Factory.  It  was  built  by  B.  T.  Southgate, 
for  the  manufacture  of  woollen  goods,  but  was  altered  by 
Wm.  Burfum,  to  cottons,  in  1827.  It  contains  40  Looms 
and  1488  Spindles,  and  has  generally  made,  with  36 
Looms  and  1392  Spindles,  250,000  yards  of  Shirting. 

The  present  owner  of  the  establishment,  S.  Damon, 
Esq.,   1840,  built  near  by,  a  small  Batting  Mill. 

Qjjinepoxet  Tillage.  The  Factory  in  this  village, 
was  built  by  S.  Damon,  Esq.,  under  contract  with  Jo- 
seph Metcalf  and  Brother,  during  the  summer  of  1831. 
It  has  from  time  to  time  undergone  extensive  repairs, 
and  is  now  owned  by  the  original  builder,  in  company 
with  Nathan  Howe.  It  contains  1400  Spindles,  and  40 
Looms.  250,000  yards  of  Sheetings  are  annually  manu- 
tured. 

Eagleville  Factory.  Mr.  Samuel  Clark  purchased 
the  Saw  and  Grist-Mills,  of  Caleb  Kendall,  in  this  village, 
in  1831.  He  erected  a  small  Factory  the  same  year, 
which  has  since  been  enlarged  to  its  present  dimensions. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDER  147 

It  contains  1600  Spindles,  and  40  Looms.  275.000  yards 
of  Sheeting  are  annually  manufactured.  During  the 
half  year  ending  July  1,  150,000  yards  were  made. 

The  business  of  the  establishment  is  transacted  under 
the  name  of  the  "  Eagle  Manufacturing  Company.'- 

Dryden's  Satixet  Factory.  This  factory  was  built 
by  Col.  Artemas  Dryden.  It  contains  300  Spindles  and 
S  looms.  The  same  reason  which  silenced  the  spindles  of 
Mr.  Jepherson's  Satinet  Factory,  have  stopped  these, 
during  the  last  few  months. 

S.  Damon,  Esq.  is  the  present  owner. 

Note.  For  many  years  previous  to  1S30,  Col.  Dryden 
manufactured  woollen  Carding  Machines  at  this  place, 
which  were  sold  in  all  parts  of  New  England. 

Loyell's  Factory.  Cotton  Battinsr,  and  Candle  Wick- 
ing  are  manufactured  at  this  Factory,  by  Dea.  John 
Lovell.  For  many  years  he  has  run  a  Carding  Machine 
for  "  Custom  Work." 

Summary,  Cotton  Mills. 

Unioimlle,  Spindles— 1790,  Looais— 36,  Clot'a— 275,000  y. 

Northville,  "              1392,      m            36,      "         250,000 

Quinepoxet,  «              1400,     «            40,      "          250,000 

Eagleville,  '•              1300,     "            40,      "         275.000 

1.050.000 


THINGS  IN   GENERAL. 

The  following  is  the  copy  of  Gen.  Lafayette's  letter  to 
Capt.  Webb.     [See  Page  48] 

Milton,  May  15,  1781. 

Dear  Sir. — Your  successful  scarmish — Has  afforded 
me  the  greatest  pleasure,  and  I  request  you  will  receive 
yourself,  and  present  to  your  company,  my  best  thanks 
on  the  occasion. 

Major  Jicks  is  Requested  to  exert  himself  in  finding 


143  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

out  the  position,  size,  and  number  of  long  boat  Helen. — 
lie  either  about  City  point  or  in  the  Appamatox  river — 
the  taking  of  these  boats  is  a  more  desirable  object  and 
would  produce  good  effects  of  a  very  extensive  nature. 
But  I  cannot  give  orders  as  the  capture  depends  upon 
the  uncertain  situation  of  local  circumstances — Should 
you  think  it  advisable  to  undertake,  precaution  must  be 
taken  to  have  your  retreat  secured  at  all  events. 

In  case  the  enterprise  is  not  executed,  to-night,  I  wish 
you  will  return  with  your  company  in  the  cool  of  the 
evening — and  if  to-night  you  have  any  object  in  view 
you  will  repair  here  to-morrow  with  the  boats. 

With  the  most  sincere  esteem. 
Yours, 

Lafayette. 


more  revolutionary  soldiers.  [See  Page  75.] 

*Micah  Harrington,  Ephraim  Holt,  Solomon  C.  Cheney, 

*LemueI  Harrington,        John  Black,  Constant  Webb, 

^Nathan  Harrington,         Benjamin  Mead,  jun.,        Asa  Greeawood, 
*Lemuel  Heywood,  tAttai  Hubbard,  * Jonathan  Flagg, 

Samuel  Heywood,  Timothy  Marshall,  Francis  Winch. 


Temperance  Societies.  The  constitution  of  the  first 
Temperance  Society  in  Holden,  was  adopted,  September 
15,  1S29.  The  Rev.  H.  Bardwell  and  Ethan  Davis,  Esq. 
were  active  in  its  formation.  The  3d  article  reads  as 
follows:  "The  members  of  this  Society  believing  that 
the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  is,  for  persons  in  health, 
not  only  unnecessary,  but  hurtful,  and  that  the  practice 
is  the  cause  of  forming  intemperate  habits  and  appetites, 
that  while  it  is  continued,  the  evils  of  intemperance  can 


*  Continental  Soldiers  ;  t  Died  in  the  Army. 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  I  . 

never  be  prevented  :  do  therefore  agree,  that  we  will  ab- 
stain from  the  use  of  distilled  spirits,  except  as  a  medi- 
cine, in  case  of  bodily  infirmity,  and  that  in  all  suitable 
ways  we  will  discountenance  the  use  of  them  in  the  com- 
munity." 

"If ,  however,  individuals  shall  deem  it  necessary  to 
make  any  use  of  ardent  spirits,  they  shall  report  tlte  same 
at  the  annual  meetings  of  the  Society." 

When  the  friends  of  Temperance  made  the  above  agree- 
ment, behind  them  they  could  see,  with  Bunyan's  Pil- 
grim, the  city  of  Destruction,  and  the  Slough  of  Despond. 
Hill  of  Difficulty,  however,  was  in  full  prospect  before 
them.  For  12  long  years  they  have  been  struggling  up 
that  hill,  undismayed  by  the  difficulties  of  the  way.  A- 
bout  two  or  three  years  since,  they  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  Delectable  Mountains,  "  beautified  with  woods,  vine- 
yards, fruits  of  all  sorts,  flowers  also,  with  springs  and 
fountains,  very  delectable  to  behold/'  When  the  Tem- 
perance Pilgrims  had  advanced  thus  far,  they  commenced 
a  discussion  respecting  total  abstinence  from  ail  intoxica- 
ting drinks.  -;  Thev  went  then  until  thev  came  to  the  De- 
lectable  Mountains,  so  they  went  up  to  the  mountains,  to 
behold  the  gardens,  and  orchards,  the  vineyards  and 
fountains  of  WATER,  where  also  they  drank  and  washed 
themselves,  and  did  freely  eat.  [not  drink.]  of  the  vine- 
yards.'' 

From  a  peak  of  one  of  the   Delectable  Mountains. 

flag  is  seen  waving  in  the  breeze,  and  upon  its  folds  are 
inscribed, 

"WASHINGTON  TOTAL  ABSTINENCE  SOCIETY."' 

1841. 

Pilgrims  are  daily  arriving. 
13* 


150  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

NOTICE  IS  HEREBY  GIVEN 
npil  \T  their  is  to  be  sold  at  Public  Auction  on  the  Last  Wednesday  of 
JL  this  Instant  at  two  o'clock  P.  M.  at  the  House  of  Lem'l  Abbot 
in  Holden  that  Noted  House  in  Said  Town  Known  by  the  Name  of  the 
Old  Publick  Meeting  House  ;  their  is  a  variety  of  Excellent  Board,  no  doubt, 
and  a  Large  assortment  of  fine  Timber,  which  the  purchaser  may  make 
Large  improvements  upon  besides  Some  Glass  and  Nails  all  which  will  be 
Sold  together  or  in  Separate  Lots  as  will  best  accommodate  the  purchaser  or 
purchasers,  the  Conditions  of  Sale  will  be  made  Known  at  the  time  and 
piace  above  mentioned, 

JAMES  DAVIS  ) 

EBEN'R  ESTABROOK       >  Committee 
PAUL  GOO  DALE  >  4 

March  ye  16th  1791 

N.  B.  Notice  is  hereby  given  to  all  persons  that  have  any  Demand,  on. 
Said  House  as  private  property  ;  they  are  Desired  to  Remove  the  Same  be- 
fore Said  Day  as  no  allowance  will  be  made  to  any  Person  by  the  Town 
that  Shull  Neglect  the  Same. 


To  Mr  Joseph  Hubbard  Treasurer  for  the  town  of  Holden  Sir  Pursuant  to- 
an  order  from  the  Select  Men  of  this  town  to  you  to  pay  unto  us  the  money 
due  for  teaching  the  School  these  are  therefore  to  desire  you  to  pay  unto 
John  Young  the  Sum  of  three  pounds  twelve  Shillings  lawful  money  of  this 
Frovance  and  his  Reeeit  Shall  be  your  discharge  for  So  much  given  under 
our  hand  this  2d  day  of  May  1753. 

John  Biglo  ^     Com'tee  For  The 

Samuel  Hubbard        >      Town  of  Holden 
Israel  Davis  j        for  the  School 

To  Mr  Joseph  Hubbard  Treasurer  for  the  Town  of  Holden  Sir  Pursuant 
to  an  order  from  the  School  Committee  of  this  town  to  you  to  pay  me  the 
Sum  of  three  pounds  twelve  Shillings  these  are  therefore  to  desire  you  to 
pay  Lieunt  Svprian  Stevens  the  sum  of  eight  Shillings  lawf  money  of  this 
provance  and  for  your  So  doing  this  shall  be  your  Security  or  discharge  for 
so  much  given  under  my  hand  at  Holden  May  ye  3d — 1753. 

John  Young 

These  are  to  Certify  whom  it  may  concern  that  when  I  kept  School  at 
Lieunt  Steven's  in  Holden  my  wages  was  one  pound  four  Shillings  pr  month 
for  three  months  which  was  three  pounds  twelve  Shillings  in  all  of  which 
Mr  Jotham  Biglo  paid  me  two  pounds  given  under  my  hand  this  12th  of 
Nov'br  1756  John  Young 


Holden  February  11th.  A.  D.  1752.  To  mr  Isariel  Daives  Tresurer  for 
ye  Town  of  Holden  ye  present  year  Sir  Plese  to  pay  Saml.  Peirce  ye  sum 
of  Eight  Shillings  Due  to  him  for  takeing  care  of  ye  meeting-honse  this 
present  year  and  his  endorsement  shall  be  your  Discharge  for  so  much  in 
make'mg  up  your  accompts  for  ye  Twenty  five  pounds  now  in  ye  hands  of 
mr  James  Gray— Constable  for  this  year 

John  Biglo  7    Select-men 

Samuel  Heywood        S    of  Holden 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEX.  151 

To  mr  Benj.  Mead  Constable  Sir  please  to  pay  to  Ithimor  Goodenow  too 
Shilling  and  eight  pence  Lawful  money  for  a  Wild  Cat  head  and  is  Endorse 
Shall  be  your  discharge  for  so  much  from  Joseph  Hubbard  Town 

Des.  the  13  1754  Treasurer 


Holden  Janew.y  15th  17-34 
To  Mr.  Benjemen   Mead    Constable  Sir  pleas  to  pay  to  Decon  Sam. II 
Pearce  the  Same  of  Eight  Shillings  for  Taking  Care   of  the  Meeting  House 
in  the  year  one  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  fifty  Three  and  his  Endorse 
Shall  be  your  Discharge  for  so  much  in  making  up  your  aCoupt. 

Joseph  Hubbard  Town  Treasurer 


ReCjd  of  Jona.  Rice  the  Sum  of  Eight  Shillings  in  full  of  the  assessment 
made  by  the  Towns  Committee  for  the  Raising  men  to  Serve  in  the  Conti- 
nental Army  for  Three  years  or  During  the  War 

David  Fisk    J>  Chairman  of  the  Committee 

Holden  April  ye  14th  1777 


the  acount  of  the  hiway  work  in  year  1751  Jonathan  Lowvel  7  days  and 
a  half  Samuel  benet  3  days  Ephram  benet  2  days  and  a  half  phinnias  benel 
2  days  Josieah  cheene  3  days  phinnias  Coll  2  days  and  a  third  part  of  a  day 
Joseph  lrench  2  days  and  too  thirds  of  a  day  \.  illiam  Flagg  2  days  and  a 
half  William  Flagg  Survear 


To  mr  Joseph  Hubburd  Town  Trasurcr 
to  pay  to  paal  Raymond  the  Sum  of  fiv 
and  four  pence  for  two  grown  Bares  Whelps 
Endorse  Shall  be  your  Discharge  for  So  mu 
ye  account,  Holden  Feberarey  the  Tenth 

John  Eiglo 
Richard  Fla 
Israel  Davis 
[x\  part  of  this  order  is  lost.] 


This  is  to  Sertiefye  the  Select  men  Cunstable  &  Town   Tresurer  that  u  : 
whose  names  are  hear  mentioned  have  worked  out   our  Rutes  According 
Town  Vote  and  hear  is  the  names  and  the  Sume  worked  By  us 

S     D     Q, 
Dee.c  Samuel  Peirce  9     10     1 

Joseph  Rngg  9     05     1 

Moses  Whder  6     C6     2 

Jonathan  Rice  7     10     2 

This  List  is  Directed  to  the  Select  men  Cunstable  &  Town  Treasurer  of  thb 
Town  of  Holden  given  under  my  hand  this  first  Day  of  October.  1750 

Jonathan  Rice  Survayour  of  Highways 


to2  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

The  following  correspondence  passed  between  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Avery  and  two  of  his  parishioners.  It  confirms 
statements  upon  56th  page  of  the  address.  1.  In  refer- 
ence to  existing  prejudices  against  instrumental  Chh. 
Music  :  and  2.  The  mild  and  conciliatory  manner  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Avery.  Some  may  have  thought  him  mild  to 
a  fault — but  like  the  Country  Parson,  beautifully  describ- 
ed, by  Goldsmith. 

"  And  ev'n  his  failings  lean'd  to  virtue's  side." 

Ilolden,  Jan.y  2d.  1790. 
Dear  Sirs — We  are  not  insensible  that  true  benevolence  is  a  mark  of  the 
Christian,  &  the  glorv  of  the  christian  character,  &  as  this  divine  principle 
awakens  the  sincerest  wishes,  in  those  that  possess  it,  for  the  happiness  of 
men  in  general,  so  especially  for  those  they  stand  in  particular  relation  to. 
This  principle  we  would  wish  to  cherish,  &.  feel  its  happy  influence.  How 
then  can  we  find,  without  concern  that  two  of  our  Brethren,  whom  we  loved 
and  respected,  have  withdrawn  from  our  communion  ?  Were  we  conscious 
of  a  wilful  departure  from  the  line  of  duty  that  had  occasion'd  this,  we 
should  charge  ourselves  as  highly  culpable,  &  consider  the  call  to  penitence 
as  loud  &  pressing.  But  tho'  we  have  done  nothing  designedly  to  ofiend  our 
Brethren  ;  we  must  still  feel  a  sorrow,  that  they  should  think  themselves 
justified  in  deserting  our  communion  ;  &  we  should  esteem  it  a  happiness,  if 
we  could  now  suggest  any  thing  to  influence  them  to  a  cordial  return  there- 
to. Here  then  we  add  that  we  presume  the  Church  as  such  cannot  be  justly 
charg'd  with  acting  inconsistent  with  rule  and  order.  True  it  is,  that  they 
have  voted  one  thing  as  to  the  mode  of  singing  in  the  Congregation  at  one 
time,  &  something  different  at  another  ;  But  have  not  publick  bodies  of  Chris- 
tians an  undoubted  right  to  do  this  if  they  think  it  wise  and  best.  The 
Church  as  a  body  wished  to  have  found  you  gratified  and  pleased  ;  but 
they  would  not  wisely  go  counter  to  what  was  the  sentiment  of  the  majority. 
&  shall  this  circumstance  separate  us  on  earth,  when  we  are,  or  ought  to  be 
all  bound  to  the  heavenly  world  ?  Is  it  not  best  to  strive  after  union  in  the 
great  essentials  of  religion,  and  to  be  candid  and  forbearing  as  to  lesser  mat- 
ters. Let  us  suppose  then  now  for  a  moment,  that  in  the  true  spirit  of 
candor  you  were  returned,  and  statedly  and  cheerfully  attended  with  us,  that 
when  the  mere  musick  of  the  voice  was  not  so  pleasing  as  you  could  wish, 
that  then  vour  minds  were  deeply  fixed  on  the  great  and  interesting  truths 
contain'd  in  the  sacred  psalm  or  hymn,  and  your  souls  were  rising  in  secret 
harmony  to  God  on  the  wings  of  faith  and  love.  Would  )ou  not  reflect  oa 
such  opportunities  afterward,  with  the  sincerest  pleasure,  and  regard  them 
as  far  from  being  lost?  and  would  not  this  be  some  satisfaction  that  your  ex- 
ample invited  others  to  the  house  of  Cod,  and  table  of  Christ  ?  Ue  hope 
you  feel  a  solicitude  for  the  interests  of  Religion,  and  how  can  we  expect 
these  to  flourish  if  we  neglect  the  publick  worship,  and  ordinances  of  God  ? 
Let  it  then  be  our  united  prayer  that  the  great  adversary  of  souls,  who  de- 
lights to  sow  discord  among  Brethren,  may  not  prevail  against  us.  Oof 
Stay  together  on  earih  is  shorthand  transient  indeed  ;  Let  us  away  then  with 
coldness,  estrangement,  and  disaffection,  put  on  as  the  elect  of  God,  bowels 
of  mercy,  tenderness  and  humbleness  of  mind,  and  the  Lord   conduct  us  all 


HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN.  153 

safely  to  that  place,  where  imperfection,  error,  and  human  frailty  are  forev- 
er at  an  end  and  where  we  may  with  infinite  satisfaction  harmonise  in  Songs 
of  praise  to  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb  forever. 

The  Church  was  stopt  on  this  day  and  it  appeared  that  they  were  desirous 
that  the  above  should  be  sent  to  Mr. and  Mr. 

N.  B.  the  Chh.  would  wish  that  if  they  have  any  thing  to  object  against 
any  individual  of  the  Church  they  would  converse  with  them  and  endeavor 
to  satisfy  themselves. 


Holden,  Jan'y.  11th  1791. 
Rev'd  Sir — I  Rec'd  sumthing  from  sum  person,  and  take  it  to  be  from 
your  Self,  but  Do  Not  Know  by  your  Signing  because  there  is  no  name  to 
it:  it  bears  Date  January  ye  2d,  1790,  whether  it  is  threw  mistake  or  De- 
signedly i  know  not:  on  first  consideration  I  thought  to  take  no  Notice  of  it: 
button  a  second  consideration  I  thought  I  would  :  The  Letter  which  I  re- 
ceived, seems  to  set  forth  that  true  benevolence  is  the  mark  and  the  glory 
of  the  sincerest  wishes  in  those  that  possess  it :  to  which  I  answer  and  say 
all  that  is  very  good  :  and  Not  to  say  any  thing  further  on  true  Christian  be- 
nevolence and  charity  towards  our  Brethren.  I  am  Charged  with  Deserting 
the  Sacrement  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  signify  without  any  just  cause  : 
hear  I  might  add  that  it  is  suggested,  the  Church  have  Voted  sumthing  Dif- 
ferent at  one  time  to  what  they  did  at  another  and  supposed  it  would  have 
been  satisfactory  to  me,  but  what  you  grounded  your  hope  upon  I  Can  not 
Conceive  of:  the  mode  of  singing  which  is  so  much  offensive  to  me,  that  1 
cannot  Glorify  God,  nor  be  Edifyed  myself:  and  further  the  Church  have 
gon  Conterary  to  the  Covenant  owned  be  Every  Brother  of  the  Church  :  in 
the  Covenant  are  these  words  promising  Carefully  to  avoid  all  sinful  stum- 
bling Blocks  and  Contentions  to  metion  no  more  on  the  Covenant:  the  mere 
musick  as  you  Call  it,  i3  the  Block  in  my  way,  as  your  Self  and  the  Church 
are  Sensable  of:  this  mere  Music  has  No  melody  at  all  in  it:  and  further  I 

would  wish  to  se  the  Carrecter  Discribed  in  the  Letter  subscribed  to  Mr 

and  my  self  truly  and  faithfully  observed. and  Not  Lord  it  over  any  ones  Con- 
cience:  I  answer  for  my  Self  and  No  other.  Rev'd  Sir  I  could  with  all 
freedom  Discorse  with  you  on  these  matters  if  you  will  come  to  my  House, 
as  my  wife  and  one  of  my  Daughters  are  Not  able  to  attend  the  publick 
worship,  they  seem  very  Desirous  that  you  should  pay  them  a  visit,  and  if 
you  please,  preach  a  Lecture  on  there  Desire. 


Holden,  Jan'y  15,  1791. 
Dear  Sir — I  received  a  line  from  you  of  the  11th  of  Jan'y,  1791 ,  and  by 
this  I  was  sorry  to  learn,  that  there  were  some  mistakes  in  a  line  lately  sent 

to  you  and  Mr  S It  should  have    bore  date  Jan'y  2d,  1791,   and  I 

meant  to  have  informed  you  in  my  own  name  that  it  was  the  general  desire 
of  those  of  the   Church,  that  were  at  meeting  on   that  day,  that  what  was 

contained  in  that  letter  should  be  sent  to  you  and  Mr  S ,  as  coming  from 

them.  It  has  been  matter  of  pain  to  me  to  find  your  seat  and  that  of  Mr. 
S vacant  at  our  communion.  I  have  done  nothing  personally  and  de- 
signedly inconsistent  with  the  most  tender  solicitude  for  your  truest  interest. 
Your  edification  and  improvement  is  an  object  of  my  sincere  desire  :  But  at 
the  same  time,  I  must  freely  and  honestly,  say  that  I  cannot  think  in  some 
respects  as  you  do:     Supposing  the  greater  part  of  the  Church,  had  thought 


154  HISTORY    OF    HOLDEN. 

with  you  as  to  the  singing,  chosen  the  tunes  that  yon  like  best,  and  to  have 
the  psalm  read  as  is  most  agreable  to  you;  that  some  of  the  Church  had  com- 
plained, and  said  that  they  would  not  be  edified  by  such  singing,  and  that 
it  was  laying  a  stumbling  block  before  them  to  sing  after  that  sort,  would 
you  believe  it  was,  and  in  order  to  please  them,  would  you  be  willing  to 
lay  aside  the  singing  that  was  agreable  to  you.  I  presume  that  you  would 
not,  and  still  that  you  would  think  that  they  ought  not,  on  this  account  to 
forsake  the  communion  of  the  Church.  If  the  musick  was  as  disagreable 
to  me  as  to  you,  I  persuade  myself  that  I  could,  notwithstanding,  find  edifi- 
cation in  the  house  of  God,  I  could  resolve  to  have  my  mind  raised  above 
the  mere  sound  of  the  voice,  and  let  the  great  truths  of  the  psalm  or  hymn 
engross  my  attention.  If  the  music  is  ever  so  agreable  to  my  ear,  yet  if  I 
pay  no  regard  to  the  truths  that  are  sung,  I  am  not  edifyed  as  I  aught.  The 
main  thing  is  to  have  the  heart  in  tune,  rightly  impressed  and  influenced. 
Why  should  we  let  the  mere  voice,  if  not  agreable,  destroy  our  devotions, 
and  prevent  our  edifieation^  I  wish  Sir,  to  have  your  mind,  and  my  own 
above  being  discomposed  by  small  things.  And  that  we,  and  others  might 
walk  together  in  the  unity  of  the  spirit,  and  bond  of  peace.  I  am  persua- 
ded that  if  you  would  overlook,  forget,  or  rise  above  things  that  have  been 
or  are  disagreable  to  you,  you  would  find  more  satisfaction  in  it,  than  you 
can  in  suffering  things  to  chaff"  your  mind  so  as  to  keep  you  from  the  House 
of  God.  As  to  lording  it  over  your  conscience,  or  any  man's,  I  trun  I. 
have  not  the  most  distant  wish  for  it.  What  I  desire  and  pray  for  is  the  edifi- 
cation of  the  Church  in  general.  It  has  been  the  bane  of  Christians  in  va- 
rious ages  to  disagree  about  the  circumstantials  of  Religion.  Every  member 
of  a  Church  has  a  right  to  use  every  fair  argument  in  order  to  have  things 
agreeable  to  his  mind;  but  is  it  not  more  noble  and  Christianlike  to  deny  our- 
selves of  some  things  to  prevent  a  division  of  the  Church  than  to  be  so 
strenuous  as  to  break  off*  it,  because  every  thing  is  not  agreable.  Good 
men  may  differ  in  sentiment,  Paul  and  Barnabas  did,  but  difference  in  judg- 
ment should  not  destroy  mutual  love.     The  Church   in  general,  sincerely 

wish  that  you  and  Mr  S could  see  things  in  a  different  light.      "  You 

subscribe  yourself  a  distressed  Brother."  I  truly  wish  you  relief  and  com- 
fort, a  serene  old  age,  and  at  the  close  of  it,  a  peaceful  departure  of  life  to  a 
better  world.  I  can  sympathize  with  you  in  your  afflictions  by  reason  of 
ye  sickness  and  weakness  of  some  of  your  family,  and  am  sorry  that  other 
troubles  should  be  added  to  these,  and: I  give  as  the  sooer  sentiment  of 
my  heart,  that  if  you  would  overcome  that  aversion  you  have  to  some 
things  in  the  house  of  God,  and  could  find  your  heart  reconciled  to  a  cheer- 
ful attendance  on  the  duties  of  God's  house,  that  you  would  rejoice  in  it 
hereafter  as  a  real  happiness.  I  will  endeavor  to  preach  a  Lecture  at  your 
house  on  thursday  next,  at  one  o'clock  in  the  Afternoon,  and  to  come  to 
your  house  in  the  forenoon. 

I  am  with  all  sincerity  and  friendship, 

Yours,  &c, 

JOSEPH  AVERY. 


ERRATA, 

Page  49,  line  26,  for  '  Bennett,'  read  «  Amos  Howard,  jr.' 
"    50,  line  5,  for  *  6s  6d,'  read  '  Is  6d,' 
M    52,  line  9,  after  '  inhabitants  '  insert  •  of  this  town,' 
"    61,  line  11,  for  '  any  blessings,'  read  ■  Heaven's  blessings,'  (some 

copies  correct.) 
<c     72,  line  27,  for  '  Inman,'  read  '  Sumner.' 
"     95,  line  1,  for  «  87  '  read  '  88  ;'    line  2,  insert  '  Paul  Goodale, 

17S1— S7;'  line  IS,  read  '  1801—5.' 
"     96,  line  10,  read  «  Thomas  J.  Davis,  1826,  34,  35,  36,  40,  41;' 

line  13,  for  '  1822  '  read  ■  1827.' 
"     98,  line  7,  for  «  1763'  read  '  1793;'  line  8,  for  '  34  '  read  '  24;, 
"     99,  for  line  13,  insert  ■  Samuel  Damon,  1807.' 
"  100,  line  16,  for  '1831'  read  '1836.' 
"  143,  line  20,  after  '^banking  '  insert  <  institutions.' 


> 


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